View synonyms for have

have

[ hav; unstressed huhv, uhv; haf ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

2nd: had or (Archaic) hadst or haddest2nd: have or (Archaic) hastpresent plural: have3rd: has or (Archaic) hath3rd: hadpresent singular 1st person: havepast participle: hadpast singular 1st person: hadpresent participle: havingpast plural: had

to possess; own; hold for use; contain:
He has property. The work has an index.
Antonyms: lack
to hold, possess, or accept in some relation, as of kindred or relative position:
He wanted to marry her, but she wouldn't have him.
to get, receive, or take:
to have a part in a play; to have news.
Synonyms: procure, secure, gain, obtain
to experience, undergo, or endure, as joy or pain:
Have a good time. He had a heart attack last year.
to hold in mind, sight, etc.:
to have doubts.
to cause to, as by command or invitation:
Have him come here at five.
to be related to or be in a certain relation to:
She has three cousins. He has a kind boss.
to show or exhibit in action or words:
She had the crust to refuse my invitation.
to be identified or distinguished by; possess the characteristic of:
He has a mole on his left cheek. This wood has a silky texture.
to engage in or carry on:
to have a talk; to have a fight.
to partake of; eat or drink:
He had cake and coffee for dessert.
to permit or allow:
I will not have any talking during the concert.
to assert, maintain, or represent as being:
Rumor has it that she's going to be married.
to know, understand, or be skilled in:
to have neither Latin nor Greek.
to beget or give birth to:
to have a baby.
to hold an advantage over:
He has you there.
to outwit, deceive, or cheat:
We realized we'd been had by an expert con artist.
to control or possess through bribery; bribe.
to gain possession of:
There is none to be had at that price.
to hold or put in a certain position or situation:
The problem had me stumped. They had him where they wanted him.
to exercise, display, or make use of:
Have pity on him.
to invite or cause to be present as a companion or guest:
We had Evelyn and Everett over for dinner. He has his bodyguard with him at all times.
to engage in sexual intercourse with.

verb (used without object)

3rd: hadpast participle: hadpast plural: had3rd: has or (Archaic) hathpresent participle: havingpresent plural: havepresent singular 1st person: havepast singular 1st person: had2nd: had or (Archaic) hadst or haddest2nd: have or (Archaic) hast

to be in possession of money or wealth:
There are some who have and some who have not.

auxiliary verb

3rd: has or (Archaic) hath2nd: have or (Archaic) hastpresent singular 1st person: havepast plural: hadpast singular 1st person: hadpresent plural: have3rd: hadpast participle: had2nd: had or (Archaic) hadst or haddestpresent participle: having

(used with a past participle to form perfect tenses):
She has gone. It would have been an enjoyable party if he hadn't felt downcast.
to be required, compelled, or under obligation (followed by infinitival to, with or without a main verb):
I have to leave now. I didn't want to study, but I had to.

noun

Usually haves. an individual or group that has wealth, social position, or other material benefits ( have-not ).

verb phrase

to go at vigorously; attack:
First he decided to have at his correspondence.

have

/ hæv /

verb

to be in material possession of; own
he has two cars
to possess as a characteristic quality or attribute
he has dark hair
to receive, take, or obtain
she had a present from him
have a look
to hold or entertain in the mind
to have an idea
to possess a knowledge or understanding of
I have no German
to experience or undergo
to have a shock
to be infected with or suffer from
to have a cold
to gain control of or advantage over
you have me on that point
slang.
usually passive to cheat or outwit
he was had by that dishonest salesman
foll by on to exhibit (mercy, compassion, etc, towards)
have mercy on us, Lord
to engage or take part in
to have a conversation
to arrange, carry out, or hold
to have a party
to cause, compel, or require to (be, do, or be done)
have my shoes mended
takes an infinitive with to used as an auxiliary to express compulsion or necessity
I had to run quickly to escape him
to eat, drink, or partake of
to have a good meal
slang.
to have sexual intercourse with
he had her on the sofa
used with a negative to tolerate or allow
I won't have all this noise
to declare, state, or assert
rumour has it that they will marry
to put or place
I'll have the sofa in this room
to receive as a guest
to have three people to stay
to beget or bear (offspring)
she had three children
takes a past participle used as an auxiliary to form compound tenses expressing completed action
I have gone
I had gone
I would have gone
I shall have gone
had better or had best
ought to: used to express compulsion, obligation, etc
you had better go
had rather or had sooner
to consider or find preferable that
I had rather you left at once
have done
See done
have had it informal.
1. to be exhausted, defeated, or killed
2. to have lost one's last chance
3. to become unfashionable
have it
to win a victory
have it away or have it off slang.
to have sexual intercourse
have it coming informal.
to be about to receive or to merit punishment or retribution
have it in for informal.
to wish or intend harm towards
have it so good
to have so many benefits, esp material benefits
have to do with
1. to have dealings or associate with
  I have nothing to do with her
2. to be of relevance to
  this has nothing to do with you
I have it informal.
I know the answer
let someone have it slang.
to launch or deliver an attack on, esp to discharge a firearm at someone
not having any informal.
foll by of refusing to take part or be involved (in)

noun

usually plural a person or group of people in possession of wealth, security, etc
the haves and the have-nots

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Spelling Note

See of ².

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Word History and Origins

Origin of have¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English haven, habben, Old English habban; cognate with German haben, Old Norse hafa, Gothic haban “to have”; perhaps akin to heave

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Word History and Origins

Origin of have¹

Old English habban; related to Old Norse hafa, Old Saxon hebbian, Old High German habēn, Latin habēre

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

had better / best, ought to:
You'd better go now, it's late.
have done, to cease; finish:
It seemed that they would never have done with their struggle.
have had it,
1. to become weary of or disgusted with whatever one has been doing:
  I've been working like a fool, but now I've had it.
2. to suffer defeat; fail:
  He was a great pitcher, but after this season he'll have had it.
3. to have missed a last opportunity:
  He refused to take any more excuses and told them all that they'd had it.
4. to become unpopular or passé:
  Quiz shows have had it.
have it coming, to merit or deserve:
When they lost their fortune, everyone said that they had it coming.
have it out, to come to an understanding or decision through discussion or combat:
We've been in disagreement about this for a long time, and I think we should have it out, once and for all.
have it in / out for, to plan or wish to do something unpleasant to; hold a grudge against:
She has it in for intelligent students who fail to use their abilities.
have on,
1. to be clothed in; be wearing:
  She had on a new dress.
2. to have arranged or planned:
  What do you have on for Christmas?
3. to tease (a person); make the butt of a joke. Compare put ( def 35 ).
have to do with,
1. to be connected or associated with:
  Your lack of confidence probably had a lot to do with your not getting the job.
2. to deal with; be concerned with:
  I will have nothing to do with their personal squabbles.
to have and to hold, to possess legally; have permanent possession of:
The house, with the mortgage finally paid, was at last their own to have and to hold.
had rather. rather ( def 9 ).

More idioms and phrases containing have

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Synonym Study

Have, hold, occupy, own, possess mean to be, in varying degrees, in possession of something. Have, being the most general word, admits of the widest range of application: to have money, rights, discretion, a disease, a glimpse, an idea; to have a friend's umbrella. To hold is to have in one's grasp or one's control, but not necessarily as one's own: to hold stakes. To occupy is to hold and use, but not necessarily by any right of ownership: to occupy a chair, a house, a position. To own is to have the full rights of property in a thing, which, however, another may be holding or enjoying: to own a house that is rented to tenants. Possess is a more formal equivalent for own and suggests control, and often occupation, of large holdings: to possess vast territories.

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Example Sentences

“I went from, I got a little bit of a head cold to I have cancer, and it was pretty overwhelming.”

From Los Angeles Times

He started chemo two weeks after his diagnosis and is expected to have six rounds every 21 days through February 2025.

From Los Angeles Times

A Times editor met with actor John Stamos to prepare a Greek dish at his home, where they discussed their similar backgrounds and his new memoir, ‘If You Would Have Told Me.’

From Los Angeles Times

Where “Cross” might be said to have a matte finish, “The Day of the Jackal,” created by the Northern Irish novelist and screenwriter Ronan Bennett, is high-gloss.

From Los Angeles Times

Does her murder have anything to do with these other killings?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Havdalah have a ball

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