# behave

/bɪˈheɪv/ (US) · /bɪhˈeɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/behave
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to act in a certain way

verb · CEFR A2

to act or conduct yourself in a particular manner, usually described by an adverb.

For teachers: to conduct oneself in a specified way. This sense is intransitive and requires an adverbial of manner.

- The children behaved very well during the long wedding ceremony.
- The materials behaved exactly as the engineers predicted under extreme pressure, showing no signs of structural fatigue during the initial testing phase.

Usage: Usually followed by an adverb like 'well', 'badly', or 'differently'.

### 2. to be good or polite

verb · CEFR A2

to act in a way that is polite or follows the rules.

For teachers: to conduct oneself in a socially acceptable or polite manner. When used without an adverb, the positive meaning is implied.

- If you don't behave, we will have to leave the restaurant early.
- The teacher promised the class a reward at the end of the week if they continued to behave during the guest speaker's presentations.

Usage: Can be used alone or with a reflexive pronoun like 'behave yourself'.

## Examples

- The children behave well when they visit their grandmother.
- If the students do not behave during the field trip, they will lose their afternoon break.
- The software began to behave erratically after the latest update, suggesting a conflict between the new code and the existing operating system.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.