being 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of beingnext
as in breathing

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Dissimilar Words

being

2 of 3

noun

ˈbē(-i)ŋ How to pronounce being (audio)
1
as in person
a member of the human race no one has the right to enslave another being

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in object
one that has a real and independent existence new parents are typically in awe at having created this separate being

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in essence
the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is music is such a large part of her being that she could never give up performing

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being

3 of 3

verb

present participle of be
1
as in living
to have life stories that begin with the familiar line "once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden"

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sitting
to occupy a place or location we'll be there waiting for you

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3
as in ranking
to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes our school's football team is first in its division

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4
as in happening
to take place the party is next Saturday

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of being
Noun
As cryptocurrencies code-conjure themselves into being and a performative utterance can fix the price of a stock if uttered emphatically enough, arrest data is used to forecast the stock valuation of private prisons. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, came into being, taking over civilian space projects at the height of the space race. — The Learning Network, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Through an intricate process of dependent origination, humans, animals, and other beings cycle around in endless rebirths based on past karma. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026 My mother, Vivian Ayers, wrote a book called Hawk in 1957 about man’s transcendence into a higher level of existence, which was this person going out into space, kind of coming into one with the sun and becoming a new being. — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for being
Recent Examples of Synonyms for being
  1. existing
  2. person
  3. object
  4. essence
  5. living
  6. sitting
  7. ranking
  8. happening
Adjective
  • Any federal healthcare policy reform should always put the patient's needs first, and that includes protecting coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Pavi is a younger hero than even 12-year-old Aang, perhaps an attempt to introduce Avatar to a new generation of kids where the movie was more of a service to pre-existing fans.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of existing
Noun
  • Each of those raises the odds that a young person ends up in trouble, whatever the color of his skin.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Siluanov was in the meeting, according to a person familiar with the matter.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of person
Noun
  • There’s the menagerie of found object ephemera that provides a sense of intimacy and personality (look for the wild bit of art hanging in the spa entrance).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Bag designs were more polarized, with oversize silhouettes and revivals of heritage styles juxtaposed to fantasy minaudière designs, sculptural clutches and embellished mini bags displaying brands’ craftsmanship and doubling as objects of art.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of object
Noun
  • But Williams, with her trademark video diaries, has distilled a vision of contemporary New York to its purest essence.
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • One wants to know her stories, but more than that one wants to know her essence.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of essence
Verb
  • The living-and-dining area is about 200 square feet, and the galley kitchen has a passthrough that can be used as a counter but also sheds a little extra light on the dark cabinetry and jet-black tile.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Producers Arya Ibrahim and Gita Fara describe the project as a story of the political upheaval of 1965, which tore families apart and left people who lost their citizenship living as exiles.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of living
Verb
  • The charges were the first-ever against a sitting Israeli prime minister.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The only difference between us sitting here and someone on death row is our circumstances.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of sitting
Verb
  • Piper Sandler's survey offered signs that Vans may finally be stabilizing — ranking as the seventh-most-popular footwear brand among male teens after years of sinking in the rankings and climbing to ninth among upper-income male teens.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
  • What’s Trending in the NFL, ranking the most controversial coaching decisions from the past week.
    — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of ranking
Verb
  • But while fans wait to see what happens, Davies, despite no longer being involved in the show, assured that a new series was definitely happening and there wouldn’t be too long to wait.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • There’s plenty of other awful things happening in the episode, almost all of them revolving around Sai.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of happening

Phrases Containing being

Browse Nearby Words

beige
being
being (as or as how or that)
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Cite this Entry

“Being.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/being. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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