The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English
be
strong /biː/ weak /bi/, /bɪ/ auxiliary verbDefinition
› used with the present participle of other verbs to describe actions that are or were still continuing: Where are you going? How long have you been sitting there? He was standing by the window. He's working at the moment.
› used with the present participle of other verbs, and sometimes after a modal verb, to describe actions that will happen in the future: I'm going to France next week. I'll be coming back on Tuesday.
› used with the past participle of other verbs to form the passive: He was injured in a car crash. The results will be announced next week.
› used in conditional sentences to say what might happen: If he were to offer me the job, I'd take it.
› used to say that someone must or should do something: You are not to see him again.
› formal used to show that something has been organized: They are to stay with us when they arrive.
(Definition of be auxiliary verb from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
Browse the Dictionary
-
be at a low ebb idiom
-
be at loggerheads (with sb) idiom
-
be at sb's beck and call idiom
-
be at the mercy of sth/sb idiom
-
be at your wits' end idiom
- be auxiliary verb
-
be bad/good news for sb idiom
-
be banging your head against a brick wall idiom
-
be bogged down
-
be breathing down sb's neck idiom
-
be called up
Browse the Thesaurus
More Results for “be”
Word of the Day
spurn
to refuse to accept something or someone because you feel that they are not worth having
Blog
Read our blog about how the English language behaves.
New Words
Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.
