BEHAVE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does behave mean? 

• BEHAVE (verb)
  The verb BEHAVE has 3 senses:

1. behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself

2. behave in a certain manner

3. behave well or properly

  Familiarity information: BEHAVE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BEHAVE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they behave    ... he / she / it behaves   
Past simple: behaved   
Past participle: behaved   
-ing form: behaving   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

act; behave; do

Context example:

The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people

Verb group:

act; dissemble; pretend (behave unnaturally or affectedly)

act; act as; play (pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "behave"):

bend over backwards; fall over backwards (try very hard to please someone)

rage; ramp; storm (behave violently, as if in state of a great anger)

loosen up; relax (become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner)

follow (accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of)

puff up; swell (become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger)

frivol; trifle (act frivolously)

footle (act foolishly, as by talking nonsense)

sauce (behave saucily or impudently towards)

hugger mugger (act stealthily or secretively)

backslap (display excessive cordiality (towards))

dally; dawdle (waste time)

break down; lose it; snap (lose control of one's emotions)

make as if (begin or appear to begin an action)

make (behave in a certain way)

piffle (act in a trivial or ineffective way)

jest; joke (act in a funny or teasing way)

act; act as; play (pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind)

act involuntarily; act reflexively (act in an uncontrolled manner)

presume (take liberties or act with too much confidence)

vulgarise; vulgarize (act in a vulgar manner)

optimise; optimize (act as an optimist and take a sunny view of the world)

quack (act as a medical quack or a charlatan)

menace (act in a threatening manner)

make (act in a certain way so as to acquire)

bluster; swagger; swash (act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner)

freeze (suddenly behave coldly and formally)

wanton (behave extremely cruelly and brutally)

romanticize (act in a romantic way)

sentimentalise; sentimentalize; sentimentise; sentimentize (act in a sentimental way or indulge in sentimental thoughts or expression)

bungle (spoil by behaving clumsily or foolishly)

play; toy (engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously)

stooge (act as a stooge, in a compliant or subordinate manner)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s Adjective

Sense 2

Meaning:

Behave in a certain manner

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

acquit; bear; behave; carry; comport; conduct; deport

Context example:

They conducted themselves well during these difficult times

Hypernyms (to "behave" is one way to...):

bear; carry; hold (support or hold in a certain manner)

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "behave"):

fluster (be flustered; behave in a confused manner)

assert; put forward (insist on having one's opinions and rights recognized)

deal (behave in a certain way towards others)

walk around (behave in a certain manner or have certain properties)

pose; posture (behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Behave well or properly

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

behave; comport

Context example:

The children must learn to behave

Hypernyms (to "behave" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "behave"):

walk (live or behave in a specified manner)

assert oneself (put oneself forward in an assertive and insistent manner)

remember oneself (recover one's good manners after a lapse or stop behaving badly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Antonym:

misbehave (behave badly)

 Context examples 

Then it so happens that I am behaving differently, for my purse and my soul have both been touched.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“I don’t quite know, sir. Between ourselves, I think Mr. Holmes had not quite got over his illness yet. He’s been behaving very queerly, and he is very much excited.”

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The animal itself was as peaceful and well-behaved as that father of all picture-wolves—Red Riding Hood's quondam friend, whilst moving her confidence in masquerade.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The editors were behaving handsomely, Martin concluded.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

In short, I behaved myself so unaccountably, that they were all of the captain’s opinion when he first saw me, and concluded I had lost my wits.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

“Whither away, Hans?” “To Gretel, mother.” “Behave well, Hans.” “Oh, I’ll behave well. Goodbye, mother.” “Goodbye, Hans.”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Mercury retrograde will show you when the gears in your machines are wearing out or when the software is not behaving properly.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

For a week or two, Jo behaved so queerly that her sisters were quite bewildered.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

“But what,” said she, after a pause, “can have been his motive? What can have induced him to behave so cruelly?”

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

And he, for all his grey years and sage experience, behaved quite as puppyishly and even a little more foolishly.

(White Fang, by Jack London)