be

[ UK /bˈiː/ ]
[ US /ˈbi, bi/ ]

VERB

spend or use time
I may be an hour
work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function
She is our resident philosopher
He is a herpetologist
be identical or equivalent to
One dollar equals 1,000 rubles these days!
represent, as of a character on stage
Derek Jacobi was Hamlet
be priced at
These shoes cost $100
occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere
What is behind this behavior?
The toolshed is in the back
Where is my umbrella?
happen, occur, take place
There was a lot of noise in the kitchen
I lost my wallet; this was during the visit to my parents' house
There were two hundred people at his funeral
form or compose
The stone wall was the backdrop for the performance
This money is my only income
This sum represents my entire income for a year
These few men comprise his entire army
These constitute my entire belonging
The children made up the chorus
to remain unmolested, undisturbed, or uninterrupted -- used only in infinitive form
let her be
have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
This is not a good answer
John is rich
have an existence, be extant
Is there a God?
have life, be alive
Our great leader is no more
My grandfather lived until the end of war
be identical to; be someone or something
The president of the company is John Smith
This is my house

Top Definitions Examples

How To Use be In A Sentence

Three tall memorial archways inscribed with Chinese characters stand outside the temple.
Ask for an aged standing rib roast from the forequarter, trimmed and chined; bring to room temperature before roasting.
When we see her, we remember that hot July day doing five knots pulling Jess and Jerry on a tube and Russ skippering his first yacht.
He described the sequence of events leading up to the robbery.
He was a cute little beggar, looked like you as well.
Richardson, are proprietors of shows, and the berouged, bedraggled creatures who exhibit on the platform outside for their living. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 53, No. 327, January, 1843
Some were members of Turkey's elite military class known as "pashas," a title of respect harking back to Ottoman military commanders Monday for allegedly planning to blow up mosques in order to trigger a military takeover and overthrow the WN.com - Photown News
In my view his confrontational, gladiatorial style has been a major contributor to the widespread disdain of the British public for politicians generally. Times, Sunday Times
Within five years, a unified currency in 1933 the "central" issue of "legal tender" currency has been relatively stable, so Donglai Bank has to resume business.
Smith, who is also a director of Norwich City Football Club, said her CBE was a "very, very great honour". BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition

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