being 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of beingnext
as in breathing

Related Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in happening
to take place the party is next Saturday

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
The name has Biblical undertones and refers to a theory that Adam (of Adam and Eve) had a first wife named Lilith, who committed adultery with Satan and transformed into an evil being who kidnaps children. — Katie Mather, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026 The capacity to feel deeply, especially in the realm of love, is one of the most transcendently human experiences that mortal beings can have. — Goth Shakira, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 According to Puckpedia, his previous contracts with Detroit were all one-year deals, the biggest being worth $4 million. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026 Cormier writes about the challenges and rewards of keeping other living beings as well. — Richard Schiffman, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 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
  • Prosecutors said the exec also feared that refusing to sell the pre-IPO stock would hurt the company’s pre-existing partnership with the sheriff’s department.
    — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 23 July 2026
  • This might not be realistic if existing contracts have locked in pricing for multi-year deals.
    — Amir Hudda, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of existing
Noun
  • All involved persons are in their 20s, according to scanner audio, and alcohol may have been involved in the incident.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 26 July 2026
  • Daily newspapers keep scores of advance obituaries on file so reporters aren’t scrambling on deadline when an important person in the community dies.
    — Suzanne Van Atten, AJC.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of person
Noun
  • People, some who may have never seen drugs in their lives, thought the falling object was cocaine.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 21 July 2026
  • The structure also supports the kind of smooth, repeatable opening and closing action that many EDC enthusiasts value, whether the knife is being used for a quick package opening or carried as a tactile mechanical object throughout the day.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 July 2026
Definition of object
Noun
  • That never crossed my mind before, but now in 2026, our reggaeton, our essence and our sound has become important in Mexico and even more so on a Latino level.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • But that all seems to funnel into these six tracks, mixing momentum and wisdom to arrive at the essence of the pedal steel—extreme highs, extreme lows, the expanse in between, out where life is lived.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
Definition of essence
Verb
  • Between the efforts of the formerly enslaved, like Belinda and Callie, and the contemporary demands of living survivors of the Jim Crow era, financial compensation has been sought out by Black women seeking due justice for racial discrimination.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
  • One notable example is MIT’s myoneural actuator, a living implant made from muscle tissue that interfaces naturally with nerves.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026
Definition of living
Verb
  • Dallas is in a difficult salary-cap jam — sitting a little more than $1 million over the limit after this signing — and getting Robertson signed to a long-term commitment would have meant a higher cap hit and cuts elsewhere.
    — Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Although several of the ArcLight locations were taken over by other operators, the Dome and ArcLight multiplex in Hollywood, which are owned outright by Pacific’s parent company Decurion, have been sitting empty ever since.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 21 July 2026
Definition of sitting
Verb
  • In alphabetical order, here are the top offensive linemen ahead of the Georgia high school football season, with ranking information from 247 Composite.
    — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 27 July 2026
  • Shanahan has a 91-72 record in the regular season and playoffs for the 49ers, ranking third in franchise history in wins behind George Seifert (108) and Bill Walsh (102).
    — Josh Dubow, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026
Definition of ranking
Verb
  • One of its recent projects is happening in Westport, where crews recently resumed work on the Westport Stormwater Improvement Project after going on hiatus for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
  • Ecrypt built agents, not an agent, and that mirrors a shift happening across business software.
    — TerDawn DeBoe, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of happening

Phrases Containing being

Browse Nearby Words

beige
being
being (as or as how or that)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Being.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/being. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on being

Nglish: Translation of being for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of comely

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All