US /bɪˈheɪv/ UK /bɪˈheɪv/
verb Freq #2767

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    To act in a particular way.

    He behaves like a child whenever she's around.

  2. 2
    verb

    To act in a polite or proper way.

    His mother told him to behave at the dinner table.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 verb · to act in a particular way. act
2 verb · to act in a polite or... comport
Word family
Forms behavedbehavesbehaving
Derived forms behavermisbehave

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *kap-der. Proto-Germanic *habjaną Proto-West Germanic *habbjan Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan Old English behabban Middle English behaven English behave From Middle English behaven, bihabben (“to restrain, behave”), from Old English behabban (“to surround, embrace, hold, contain, hold back, withhold, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan, equivalent to be- + have. C…

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Topics

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