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Behave

/bəˈheɪv/

To conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way.

📖 Definitions of "Behave"

verb
  1. 1

    To conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way.

    "You need to behave yourself, young lady."

  2. 2

    To act, conduct oneself in a specific manner; used with an adverbial of manner.

    "He behaves like a child whenever she's around."

  3. 3

    To conduct, manage, regulate (something).

  4. 4

    To act in a polite or proper way.

    "His mother threatened to spank him if he didn't behave."

🔄 Synonyms of "Behave"

8 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

WordDefinition
conductnounBehaviour; the manner of behaving.
carryverb(transitive) To lift (something) and take it to another place; to transport (something) by lifting.
actnoun(countable) An instance of a certain standardized college admissions test in the United States, originally called the American College Test.
acquitverb(transitive) To declare or find innocent or not guilty.
comportverb(reflexive) To behave (in a given manner).
doverb(auxiliary) A syntactic marker.
deportverb(transitive) To evict, especially from a country.
bearverbA large, generally omnivorous mammal (a few species are purely carnivorous or herbivorous), having shaggy fur, a very small tail, and flat feet; a member of the family Ursidae.

↔️ Antonyms of "Behave"

Words with the opposite meaning.

WordDefinition
misdemeanverb(intransitive) To misbehave.
misbehaveverb(intransitive or reflexive) To act or behave in an inappropriate, improper, incorrect, or unexpected manner.

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Behave"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

WordDefinition
deportverb(transitive) To evict, especially from a country.
conductverbBehaviour; the manner of behaving.
comportverb(reflexive) To behave (in a given manner).
acquitverb(transitive) To declare or find innocent or not guilty.
doverb(auxiliary) A syntactic marker.
carryverb(transitive) To lift (something) and take it to another place; to transport (something) by lifting.
actverb(intransitive) To do something.
bearverb(now transitive outside certain set patterns such as 'bear with'; formerly also intransitive) To endure or withstand (hardship, scrutiny, etc.); to tolerate; to be patient (with).
obeyverb(transitive) To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of.
operateverb(transitive or intransitive) To perform a work or labour; to exert power or strength, physical or mechanical; to act.
wiseverbTo become wise.
consistverb(archaic, intransitive) To exist or be compatible.
involveverbTo cause or engage (someone or something) to become connected or implicated, or to participate, in some activity or situation.
treatverb(transitive) To entertain with food or drink, especially at one's own expense; to show hospitality to; to pay for as celebration or reward.
driveverbTo operate a vehicle:
entailverb(transitive) To imply, require, or invoke.
includeverbTo bring into a group, class, set, or total as a (new) part or member.
behaviornoun(countable, uncountable) The way or manner a living creature behaves or acts generally.
compriseverb(transitive) To be made up of; to consist of (especially a comprehensive list of parts).
proceedverbTo move, pass, or go forward or onward; to advance; to carry on.

Words Strongly Associated with "Behave"

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🎨 Adjectives for "Behave"

Popular adjectives used to describe this word in books.

🏷️ Nouns for "Behave"

Common nouns this word is used to describe.

📝 Common Phrases with "Behave"

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