Dictionary

behave en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /bi-/ (General-American)
• /bᵻˈheɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /bə-/ (General-American)
• /bɪˈheɪv/ (General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- substratebor.? 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. Cognate with Middle Low German behebben, behāven (“to receive, acquire, reach, keep”), Low German behebben (“to act, behave”), German behaben (“to behave”).

Meanings

1. (reflexive) To conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way; to conform.
   • You need to behave yourself, young lady.
   • And the manifest signs that came from heaven unto those that behaved themselves manfully to their honour for Judaism[…] 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Maccabees 2:21:
2. (intransitive) To act, conduct oneself in a specific manner; used with an adverbial of manner.
   • How did the students behave while I was gone?
   • He behaves like a child whenever she's around.
   • My laptop has been behaving erratically ever since you borrowed it.
   • Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese, a silvery metal, began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated. 2014 April 21, “Subtle effects”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8884:
3. (obsolete, transitive) To conduct, manage, regulate (something).
   • He did behave his anger ere 'twas spent. c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v], page 88:
   • But who his limbs with labours, and his mind / Behaues with cares, cannot so easie mis. 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, book 2, canto 3, verse 40:
4. (intransitive) To act in a polite or proper way.
   • One time when Willie was more set on clowning than on learning about Jesus, Miss Helen ordered, "Willie Mack, you stand up against the wall until you learn to behave." 2009, Roger L. Van Ommeren, From Rebellion to Submission, page 48:
   • His mother threatened to spank him if he didn't behave.

Forms

Deriveds

behave oneself · misbehave · behaver

Relateds

behavior · behavioural · behavioral · behaviorist · behaviourism · behaviourist · behaviour · behaviorism

Synonyms

tread · acquit · deport

Translations (141)

uk пово́дитися (to act in a specific manner) · ro se purta (to act in a specific manner) · az davranmaq (to act in a specific manner) · vi cư xử (to act in a specific manner) · be паво́дзіцца (to act in a specific manner) · lv uzvesties (to act in a specific manner) · sh пона́шати се (to act in a specific manner) · tr düzgün davranmak (to act in a polite or proper way) · izh pittää (to act in a specific manner) · hu viselkedik (to act in a polite or proper way) · fa مؤدب بودن (to act in a polite or proper way) · hi आचरण करना (to act in a specific manner) · km ប្រព្រឹត្ត (to act in a specific manner) · th ทำตัวดี (to act in a polite or proper way) · la ago (to act in a specific manner) · scn cunnucìrisi (to act in a specific manner) · nl zich gedragen (to act in a specific manner) · bg постъ́пя (to act in a specific manner) · ja 振る舞う (to act in a specific manner) · th ทำตัว (to act in a specific manner) · tr terbiyeli davranmak (to act in a polite or proper way) · ru вести́ себя́ хорошо́ (to act in a polite or proper way) · ms bersikap (to act in a specific manner) · ja 行動する (to act in a specific manner) · mk се однесува (to act in a specific manner) · ang ġebǣran (to act in a polite or proper way) · izh käyttää (to act in a specific manner) · is haga sér (to act in a polite or proper way) · scn èssiri aducatu (to act in a polite or proper way) · be паво́дзіць сябе́ (to act in a specific manner) · tr terbiyeli olmak (to act in a polite or proper way) · cmn 做人 (to act in a polite or proper way) · is haga sér (to act in a specific manner) · uk вести́ себе́ (to act in a specific manner) · cmn 為人 /为人 (to act in a specific manner) · lt elgtis (to act in a specific manner) · sq sillem (to act in a specific manner) · ru поступа́ть (to act in a specific manner) · scn fari u pulitu (to act in a polite or proper way) · ml പെരുമാറുക (to act in a specific manner) · mr नीट वागणे (to act in a polite or proper way) · tg рафтор кардан (to act in a specific manner) · ka მოქცევა (to act in a specific manner) · uk поступи́ти (to act in a specific manner) · fi olla kunnolla (to act in a polite or proper way) · th สำรวมกิริยา (to act in a polite or proper way) · tr edebini takınmak (to act in a polite or proper way) · az özünü aparmaq (to act in a specific manner) · pl postępować (to act in a specific manner) · ja 行儀がよい (to act in a polite or proper way) · ko 예절바르게 행동하다 (to act in a polite or proper way) · he הִתְנַהֵג (to act in a specific manner) · th ประพฤติ (to act in a specific manner) · ca portar-se (to act in a specific manner) · cmn 舉動 /举动 (to act in a polite or proper way) · sk správať sa (to act in a specific manner) · ro se comporta (to act in a specific manner) · pt comportar-se (to act in a polite or proper way) · be трыма́цца (to act in a specific manner) · hi बर्ताव करना (to act in a specific manner) · ca captenir-se (to act in a specific manner) · ang ġebǣran (to act in a specific manner) · ga tú féin a iompar (to act in a specific manner) · fr se comporter (to act in a specific manner) · pl postąpić (to act in a specific manner) · pt comportar-se (to act in a specific manner) · tr görgülü davranmak (to act in a polite or proper way) · bg държа́ се добре́ (to act in a polite or proper way) · it comportarsi bene (to act in a polite or proper way) · bg държа́ се (to act in a specific manner) · ka ქცევა (to act in a specific manner) · tg муомила кардан (to act in a specific manner) · ar مُؤَدَّب (to act in a polite or proper way) · ur پیش آنا (to act in a specific manner) · sv bete sig (to act in a specific manner) · pl zachowywać się (to act in a specific manner) · it comportarsi (to act in a specific manner) · hi पेश आना (to act in a specific manner) · sl obnašati se (to act in a specific manner) · az rəftar etmək (to act in a specific manner) · ru вести́ себя́ (to act in a specific manner) · pl zachować się (to act in a specific manner) · ru вести́ себя́ пра́вильно (to act in a polite or proper way) · nb oppføre seg (to act in a specific manner) · ur برتاؤ کرنا (to act in a specific manner) · sh ponášati se (to act in a specific manner) · et käituma (to act in a specific manner) · et käituma (viisakalt, korralikult, ...) (to act in a polite or proper way) · fur puartâsi (to act in a specific manner) · ko 행동하다 (to act in a specific manner) · es comportarse (to act in a polite or proper way) · ar تَصَرَّفَ بِشَكْل (to act in a polite or proper way) · be ве́сці сябе́ (to act in a specific manner) · da opføre sig (to act in a specific manner) · my ပြုမူ (to act in a specific manner) · hu viselkedik (to act in a specific manner) · cs chovat se (to act in a specific manner) · ko 예절바르다 (to act in a polite or proper way) · ko 몸가짐이 얌전하다 (to act in a polite or proper way) · hi व्यवहार करना (to act in a specific manner) · got 𐌿𐍃𐌼𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (to act in a specific manner) · mr वागणे (to act in a specific manner) · it agire (to act in a specific manner) · afb تصرف (to act in a specific manner) · mn аашлах (to act in a specific manner) · sk správať sa (to act in a polite or proper way) · ko 처신하다 (to act in a specific manner) · es portarse (to act in a specific manner) · cs chovat se (to act in a polite or proper way) · de sich benehmen (to act in a polite or proper way) · be трыма́ць сябе́ (to act in a specific manner) · be паступі́ць (to act in a specific manner) · de sich benehmen (to act in a specific manner) · bg постъ́пвам (to act in a specific manner) · uz muomala qilmoq (to act in a specific manner) · be паступа́ць (to act in a specific manner) · tr terbiyesini takınmak (to act in a polite or proper way) · fi olla ihmisiksi (to act in a polite or proper way) · fi käyttäytyä (kunnolla) (to act in a polite or proper way) · de sich verhalten (to act in a specific manner) · fi käyttäytyä (to act in a specific manner) · scn cumpurtàrisi (to act in a specific manner) · is hegða sér (to act in a specific manner) · lld se cumpurté (to act in a specific manner) · ga bheith múinte (to act in a polite or proper way) · sl vesti se (to act in a specific manner) · ru поступи́ть (to act in a specific manner) · sv sköta sig (to act in a polite or proper way) · hy վարվել (to act in a specific manner) · tr davranmak (to act in a specific manner) · da opføre sig godt/ordentligt (to act in a polite or proper way) · kk өзін өзі ұстау (to act in a specific manner) · ky өзүн алып жүрүү (to act in a specific manner) · ca comportar-se (to act in a specific manner) · ar تَصَرَّفَ (to act in a specific manner) · uk поступа́ти (to act in a specific manner) · sv uppföra sig (to act in a specific manner) · nl zich gedragen (to act in a polite or proper way) · eo konduti (to act in a specific manner) · lo ປະພຶດ (to act in a specific manner) · fa رفتار کردن (to act in a specific manner)