behave

American  

[bih-heyv] / bɪˈheɪv /

verb (used without object)

behaved, behaving

1. to act in a particular way; conduct or comport oneself or itself.

   The ship behaves well.

   Synonyms:

   perform

2. to act properly.

   Did the child behave?

3. to act or react under given circumstances.

   This plastic behaves strangely under extreme heat or cold.

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verb (used with object)

behaved, behaving

1. to conduct or comport (oneself ) in a proper manner.

   Sit quietly and behave yourself.

behave British  

/ bɪˈheɪv /

verb

1. (intr) to act or function in a specified or usual way

2. to conduct (oneself) in a specified way

   he behaved badly towards her

3. to conduct (oneself) properly or as desired

   the child behaved himself all day

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Other Word Forms

• unbehaving adjective
• well-behaved adjective

Etymology

Origin of behave

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English behaven “to behave oneself”; equivalent to be- + have

Example Sentences

His team explored a new way to combine gravity with quantum physics, which describes how the smallest particles behave.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

"There is a lot of pressure on the dogs to behave in those environments", she said, which involves a host of distractions - including food, children, chatter and other furry friends.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

In the end, the quantum processor was able to show how the crystal should behave.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

The error was particularly humiliating for companies focused on making AI behave according to human values and intentions, which is known as “alignment.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Miss Penelope Lumley would say yes, of course they were; like all children, they simply needed patient instruction on how to behave properly.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• act
• operate
• perform
• react