being 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of beingnext
as in breathing

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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
The gods themselves are also an unnerving presence, omnipresent beings of colossal power who see humans as their playthings and view Ulysses' toils as some twisted spectator sport. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026 That still leaves room for hugely divergent views on how the poems came into being. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 The World Cup came into being after the success of the Olympic football tournaments of the 1920s. — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Strassman has his own theories of what these beings could be. — Charles Moss, SPIN, 16 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
  • And on May 26, a 44-year-old male with pre-existing conditions had back pain on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a log ride with a dramatic drop.
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
  • Paramount has agreed to a request from 12 states to link their federal antitrust case to a pre-existing suit brought by Paramount+ subscribers.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 July 2026
Definition of existing
Noun
  • Here’s a look at some of the numbers racked up by the person overseeing the tournament that will have featured a record 104 matches spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the largest geographic footprint in World Cup history.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • Odysseus also prided himself on being the only person able to string his sturdy bow.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 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
  • Backup generators, most of them diesel, don't run clean, and the communities living closest to data centers absorb that cost too.
    — Anna Demeo, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • When the family pulled her maternal grandmother, Mary Ann, from assisted living during the pandemic, Schiller became her primary caregiver.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 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
  • Two high-ranking sources inside the Blazers said Dundon has never mentioned relocating the Trail Blazers.
    — Jason Quick, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • This is my story—the story of a kid who grew up in Rochdale Village in South Jamaica, Queens, who was falsely arrested as a teenager yet rose through the ranks to become the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the New York City Police Department.
    — Rodney K. Harrison, New York Daily News, 19 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)
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Cite this Entry

“Being.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/being. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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