Synonyms

believe

American

[bih-leev] / bɪˈliv /

verb (used without object)

to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.

Only if one believes in something can one act purposefully.

verb (used with object)

to have confidence or faith in the truth of (a positive assertion, story, etc.); give credence to.
to have confidence in the assertions of (a person).
to have a conviction that (a person or thing) is, has been, or will be engaged in a given action or involved in a given situation.

The fugitive is believed to be headed for the Mexican border.
to suppose or assume; understand (usually followed by a noun clause).

I believe that he has left town.

verb phrase

believe in
1. to be persuaded of the truth or existence of.
  
  to believe in Zoroastrianism; to believe in ghosts.
2. to have faith in the reliability, honesty, benevolence, etc., of.
  
  I can help only if you believe in me.

idioms

make believe. make.

believe British

/ bɪˈliːv /

verb

(tr; may take a clause as object) to accept (a statement, supposition, or opinion) as true

I believe God exists
(tr) to accept the statement or opinion of (a person) as true
to be convinced of the truth or existence (of)

to believe in fairies
(intr) to have religious faith
(when tr, takes a clause as object) to think, assume, or suppose

I believe that he has left already
(tr; foll by of; used with can, could, would, etc) to think that someone is able to do (a particular action)

I wouldn't have believed it of him

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

believe More Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing believe

Usage

Spelling tips for believe The word believe is hard to spell for two reasons. First, because it can be hard to remember the order of the i and e. Sometimes people want to spell it beleive, which is incorrect. Second, because it is pronounced [ bih-leev ], which makes you think there may be a second i in the word, as in bilieve. How to spell believe: The easiest way to remember how to spell believe is with the classic mnemonic device: “I before E, except after C." Believ[ing] is an important part of "being alive", which reminds you that the first syllable is be, not bi.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of believe

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bileven, equivalent to bi- be- + leven, Old English (Anglian) gelēfan (cognate with Dutch gelooven, German glauben, Gothic galaubjan )

Explanation

If you believe something, you think it’s true. If you are easily duped then you might believe your little sister when she says a thief broke into the house and ate all your candy. Believe comes from old German words meaning to have trust. Belief doesn’t require proof, just acceptance. If you’re on a jury and the prosecution and defense present two different versions of what happened, you have to decide which side you believe. To believe can also mean having confidence. If you believe in me, it doesn’t mean that you think I’m real (unless I’m a ghost). It means you think I can do what I set out to do.

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Vocabulary lists containing believe

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

believe believes believed believing

"At the moment, I genuinely can't quite believe what's just happened," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Diametrically opposed to the doomers are the accelerationists, who believe in technology's advancement, its inevitability and its fundamental benefit for society -- and who also make their fortunes on its success.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

Zhu, the Beijing private-equity investor, said that when entrepreneurs see someone succeed in China, they believe they can do it, too.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

It’s hard to believe that some of television’s finest actors — industry veterans known for iconic shows and critically acclaimed performances — have yet to receive the industry’s highest honor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

“And so now I have to ask you if you still believe that your relationship with him used to be ‘easier’ and ‘simpler.’

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Berlin still believes it has some influence over the deal through its representation on Commerzbank's supervisory board and its roughly 12-percent stake in the bank, both legacies of a state bailout during the financial crisis.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

Although I believe the VP and this foreign crypto platform are real, my personal banker believes the individuals involved are scammers.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

UK Sport ranks athletes by how likely they are to win medals at major events, and gives more funding to those whose chances it believes are better.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

Such innovations are the reason why the Swiss company believes it can hold its prices firm while competitors flood shoppers with discounts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Shapin and Schaffer, however, want to turn Hobbes into a seventeenth-century Wittgensteinian, someone who believes that all knowledge is conventional and constructed.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

The actual volume of such cases are believed to be even higher, owing to an increasing number of withheld judgments.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

OpenAI was founded in part because its backers, including first investor Elon Musk, feared that AI's development would end up in the hands of Google, which they believed could not be trusted with the technology.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

This scene appears in the documentary “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger,” released last week, which follows a 2025 tour that few believed would ever happen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

They see the economy as more vulnerable to a steep slowdown in growth than commonly believed.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

The family believed they had located the particular grave.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Just saying and believing something will happen will make it happen, right?

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

South Wales Police said it did not attend the scene, while a local councillor believes the driver mistakenly drove down a walking path believing to be a road before getting stuck.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Hasegawa wants to see the base at Futenma redeveloped into homes and businesses, believing it will bring jobs in construction and other economic benefits “so that Okinawa can be a source of pride,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

The councilmember supports the project and its goals, while also believing that residents and small-business owners have raised “legitimate concerns” that “deserve concrete answers and solutions.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

“You are dunces, both of you, believing that rot,” I say.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

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