be

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verb

ˈbē

past tense first- and third-person singular was ˈwəz

ˈwäz

; past tense second-person singular were ˈwər

; past tense plural were; past subjunctive were; past participle been ˈbin

ˈben

chiefly British

ˈbēn

; present participle being ˈbē(-i)ŋ

; present tense first-person singular am

əm,

ˈam

; present tense second-person singular are ˈär

ər

; present tense third-person singular is ˈiz

əz

; present tense plural are; present subjunctive be

Synonyms of be next

intransitive verb

: to equal in meaning : have the same connotation as : symbolize

God is love

January is the first month

let x be 10

: to have identity with : to constitute the same idea or object as

The first person I met was my brother.

: to constitute the same class as

These three books are the authoritative works on the president's life.

: to have a specified qualification or characterization

The leaves are green.

: to belong to the class of

the fish is a trout

Keeping this room clean is your responsibility.

—used regularly in senses 1a through 1e as the copula of simple predication

: to have an objective existence : have reality or actuality : live

I think, therefore I am

: to have, maintain, or occupy a place, situation, or position

the book is on the table

: to remain unmolested, undisturbed, or uninterrupted

—used only in infinitive form

let him be

: to take place : occur

the concert was last night

: to come or go

has already been and gone

has never been to the circus

archaic : belong, befall

… to thine and Albany's issue be this perpetual.—

Shakespeare

auxiliary verb

—used with the past participle of transitive verbs as a passive-voice auxiliary

the money was foundthe house is being built

—used as the auxiliary of the present participle in progressive tenses expressing continuous action

he is readingI have been sleeping

—used with the past participle of some intransitive verbs as an auxiliary forming archaic perfect tenses

… Christ is risen from the dead …—

1 Corinthians 15:20 (Douay Version)

—used with to + infinitive to express futurity, arrangement in advance, or obligation

I am to interview him todayshe was to become famous

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abbreviation (2)

bachelor of education

bachelor of engineering

bill of exchange

Black English

British English

be-

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prefix

: on : around : over

besmear

: to a great or greater degree : thoroughly

befuddle

: excessively : ostentatiously

—in intensive verbs formed from simple verbs

bedeck

and in adjectives based on adjectives ending in -ed

beribboned

: about : to : at : upon : against : across

bestride

: make : cause to be : treat as

belittle

befriend

: call or dub especially excessively

bedoctor

: affect, afflict, treat, provide, or cover with especially excessively

bedevil

befog

Example Sentences

Verb stories that begin with the familiar line “once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden” we'll be there waiting for you

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In April, Yo-Yo Ma be in Louisville for a five-day immersive residency with the Louisville Orchestra. —

Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 19 Jan. 2023 That’s up to the powers that be — my agent, whoever else. —

Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2023 And while some hotels harvest and use their honey at their spa or restaurant, the Mercer in New York, which installed hives on its roof last spring with beekeeper Ian Sklarsky, prefers to just let its 70,000 bees be. —

Eunica Escalante Zoe Ruffner Juan A. Ramírez Abid Haque Angela Koh Devorah Lev-tov, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2023 Hailing from the province of San Cristóbal in the Dominican Republic, J Noa narrates the struggle, hustle, and bustle of life in the hood, while slaying some socio-political critiques of the D.R. governmental powers that be. —

Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 18 Jan. 2023 New Hampshire and Nevada would go second but on the same day and Biden further recommended that Georgia and Michigan be brought into the early mix. —

Natasha Korecki, NBC News, 5 Jan. 2023 My hope is that 2023 marks the year where honest actors are rewarded for technical ingenuity and a commitment to empowering individuals on the web, which is ultimately why we’re supposed to be here. —

Kathleen Breitman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2023 Yet the powers that be still refuse to throw Dexter Jettster a cameo. —

Brendan Morrow, The Week, 4 Jan. 2023 Internet battles between protesters and the powers that be are heightened in China, where the internet is heavily censored and a surveillance dragnet sweeps up life online and off. —

Jody Rosen, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'be.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English bēon; akin to Old High German bim am, Latin fui I have been, futurus about to be, fieri to become, be done, Greek phynai to be born, be by nature, phyein to produce

Prefix

Middle English, from Old English bi-, be-; akin to Old English bī by, near — more at by

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of be was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century