Synonyms

have

American

[hav, huhv, uhv, haf] / hæv, həv, əv, hæf /

verb (used with object)

PRESENT_SINGULAR_1ST_PERSON

have

SECOND_PERSON

have

SECOND_PERSON

hast

THIRD_PERSON

has

THIRD_PERSON

hath

PRESENT_PLURAL

have

PAST_SINGULAR_1ST_PERSON

had

SECOND_PERSON

had

SECOND_PERSON

hadst, haddest

THIRD_PERSON

had

PAST_PLURAL

had

PAST_PARTICIPLE

had

PRESENT_PARTICIPLE

having

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)

PRESENT_SINGULAR_1ST_PERSON

have

SECOND_PERSON

have

SECOND_PERSON

hast

THIRD_PERSON

has

THIRD_PERSON

hath

PRESENT_PLURAL

have

PAST_SINGULAR_1ST_PERSON

had

SECOND_PERSON

had

SECOND_PERSON

hadst, haddest

THIRD_PERSON

had

PAST_PLURAL

had

PAST_PARTICIPLE

had

PRESENT_PARTICIPLE

having

to be in possession of money or wealth.

There are some who have and some who have not.

auxiliary verb

PRESENT_SINGULAR_1ST_PERSON

have

SECOND_PERSON

have

SECOND_PERSON

hast

THIRD_PERSON

has

THIRD_PERSON

hath

PRESENT_PLURAL

have

PAST_SINGULAR_1ST_PERSON

had

SECOND_PERSON

had

SECOND_PERSON

hadst, haddest

THIRD_PERSON

had

PAST_PLURAL

had

PAST_PARTICIPLE

had

PRESENT_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

have at to go at vigorously; attack.

First he decided to have at his correspondence.

idioms

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.
had better / best, ought to.

You'd better go now, it's late.
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.
had rather. rather.
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 done, to cease; finish.

It seemed that they would never have done with their struggle.
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 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.

have British

/ 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 shall have gone
I would have gone
I had gone
ought to: used to express compulsion, obligation, etc

you had better go
to consider or find preferable that

I had rather you left at once
See done
informal
1. to be exhausted, defeated, or killed
2. to have lost one's last chance
3. to become unfashionable
to win a victory
slang to have sexual intercourse
informal to be about to receive or to merit punishment or retribution
informal to wish or intend harm towards
to have so many benefits, esp material benefits
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
informal I know the answer
slang to launch or deliver an attack on, esp to discharge a firearm at someone
informal (foll by of) refusing to take part or be involved (in)

"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

noun

(usually plural) a person or group of people in possession of wealth, security, etc

the haves and the have-nots

"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

have More Idioms

In addition to the idioms beginning with have, also see entries beginning with get had, and keep.

Spelling

See of ².

Related Words

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.

Etymology

Origin of have

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

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.

Since then, astronomers have been studying the asteroid, estimating its size to be at least 30 metres wide.

From Space Scoop

Still, a strong sequel has often proved a cure for what ails Hollywood, and the Thanksgiving weekend was no exception.

From MarketWatch

UBS also thinks the company has a “best-in-class” e-commerce platform, one that offers people a better experience and “often a better price,” he said.

From MarketWatch

Concerns about Nvidia have dragged the stock’s valuation near historically low levels — and that suggests big gains could be in store, according to a BofA analyst.

From MarketWatch

“For too long, American patients have been forced to subsidize prescription drugs and biologics in other developed countries by paying a significant premium for the same products in ours,” U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

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