{
    "term": "behave",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "behave",
            "heSheIt": "behaves"
        },
        "pastSimple": "behaved",
        "pastParticiple": "behaved",
        "ingForm": "behaving"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to do things in a particular way",
            "sensetop": "+ adv./prep.",
            "labels": "North American EnglishBritish English",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The doctor behaved very unprofessionally."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They **behaved** very **badly** towards their guests."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He behaved like a true gentleman."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They behave differently when you're not around."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He had always **behaved in a** friendly **manner** towards us."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I expect you to **behave in a** certain **way**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She behaved with great dignity."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He **behaved as if/though** nothing had happened."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I know I should have behaved differently."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Children, if they are used to being treated with respect, will behave accordingly."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Stop behaving like a three-year-old!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "People behave according to their own understanding of situations."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Humans and machines sometimes behave similarly."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The enquiry investigated whether officers had behaved correctly."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the freedom to behave naturally"
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "act",
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["impeccably", "perfectly", "well"],
                "preposition": ["according to", "as if", "as though"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to do things in a way that people think is correct or polite",
            "sensetop": "behave yourself",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Will you kids just behave!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She doesn't know how to behave in public."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The children always behave for their father."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I want you to behave yourselves while I'm away.",
                    "contextForm": "behave yourself"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["impeccably", "perfectly", "well"],
                "preposition": ["according to", "as if", "as though"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "behaving in the way mentioned",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "**well-/badly behaved** children"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to naturally react, move, etc. in a particular way",
            "sensetop": "+ adv./prep.",
            "labels": "(specialist)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a study of how metals behave under pressure"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to behave in a very confident way that annoys other people, for example by telling them what to do",
            "labels": "(disapproving)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She was acting as if she owned the place."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈheɪv/",
                "audio": "be/behave/behave__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈheɪvz/",
                "audio": "be/behave/behaves__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈheɪvd/",
                "audio": "be/behave/behaved__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈheɪvɪŋ/",
                "audio": "be/behave/behaving__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈheɪv/",
                "audio": "be/behave/behave__us_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈheɪvz/",
                "audio": "be/behave/behaves__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈheɪvd/",
                "audio": "be/behave/behaved__us_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈheɪvɪŋ/",
                "audio": "be/behave/behaving__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from be- ‘thoroughly’ + have in the sense ‘have or bear (oneself) in a particular way’ (corresponding to modern German sich behaben)."
}