Definition of “believe” - English Dictionary

American

“believe” in English

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believeverb [ T ]

uk ​ /bɪˈliːv/ us ​ /bɪˈliːv/

A2 to think that something is true, correct, or real:

Strangely, no one believed us when we told them we'd been visited by a creature from Mars.
[ + that ] He believes that all children are born with equal intelligence.
She's arriving tomorrow, I believe.
"Is she coming alone?" "We believe not/so (= we think she is not/is)."
[ + obj + to infinitive ] I believe her to be the finest violinist in the world.
[ + obj + adj ] All the crew are missing, believed dead.
not believe a word of it

› to not believe that something is true:

He told me she was just a friend, but I don't believe a word of it!
believe it or not B1 also would you believe it?

› said when telling someone about something that is true, although it seems unlikely:

He's upstairs doing his homework, believe it or not.
believe me

› said when emphasizing that something is true:

Believe me, I was scared !
if you believe that, you'll believe anything! informal

› something that you say to emphasize that something is obviously not true:

He said the car in front backed into him, and if you believe that, you'll believe anything!
make believe

› to pretend or imagine:

Let's make believe (that) we're pirates.
See also
make-believe

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Idiom(s)

believe sth when you see it
not believe your eyes/ears
not believe your luck

Phrasal verb(s)

believe in sth
believe in sb

(Definition of “believe” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“believe” in American English

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believeverb [ I/T ]

us ​ /bɪˈliv/

› to think that something is true or correct:

[ T ] One juror said he didn’t believe the policeman’s testimony.
[ + (that) clause ] She believed (that) it was wrong to censor the text.

› If you believe in something, you feel that it is right:

[ I always + adv/prep ] I believe in giving a person a second chance.

› If you believe in someone you have confidence in that person's abilities:

[ I always + adv/prep ] We just need to believe in ourselves.

Idiom(s)

believe it or not
believe me
not believe your eyes

(Definition of “believe” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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