Word

be, v.
(am, are, been, being, is, was, were)
freq. cnt. 16667

have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
<verb.stative> freq. cnt.: 10,742 freq. cnt.: 10,742

be

sample sentences

"John is rich"
"This is not a good answer"

verb frames

Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s Adjective/Noun
Somebody ----s Adjective
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s PP
John will %s angry

semantic pointers

hyponym

look suffer, hurt be well suffer feel remain, stay, rest continue sparkle, scintillate, coruscate confuse, confound, befuddle, throw, fox, fuddle, bedevil, discombobulate rank point need, want, require compact, pack rest cut seethe, boil mope, moon around, moon about seem, look, appear seem, appear owe belong cover represent account cut across begin, start begin stand define, specify, delimit, delineate, delimitate go make sense, add up comprise, consist prove, turn out, turn up account for remain stand by, stick by, stick, adhere hang around, linger, loiter, tarry, lurk, mill about, lounge, footle, lollygag, loaf, lallygag, mess about, mill around total, number, amount, come, add up matter, count, weigh rate deserve, merit buy shine fall depend underlie behoove, behove stink suck, blow subtend, delimit embody, incarnate, body forth, substantiate hold, contain, take cost, be measure buzz, hum, seethe abound disagree, disaccord, discord gape, yawn, yaw tend, incline, lean, run, be given run, go figure, enter press rage relate, interrelate rut stagnate stagnate come in handy squat hoodoo impend range, run remain, stay, stay on, continue sell translate head, head up come in for compare fall, come run into, encounter gravitate pay diverge shine iridesce lie stand hang litter suit end, terminate fit lend let go belong belong wind, curve, twist jumble, mingle promise accept, take clean draw wash balance come, hail act test seem answer beat hold count contain connect sell sell kill make deck, adorn, decorate, grace, embellish, beautify consist work lubricate breathe trim swing osculate retard transplant cohere object stick recognize distribute put out bake, broil swim, drown swim belong

be identical to; be someone or something
<verb.stative> freq. cnt.: 3,019 freq. cnt.: 3,019

be

sample sentences

"The president of the company is John Smith"
"This is my house"

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere
<verb.stative> freq. cnt.: 901 freq. cnt.: 901

be

sample sentences

"Where is my umbrella?"
"The toolshed is in the back"
"What is behind this behavior?"

verb frames

Something ----s
Somebody ----s PP

semantic pointers

hyponym

have an existence, be extant
<verb.stative> freq. cnt.: 801 freq. cnt.: 701 freq. cnt.: 100

be exist

sample sentences

"Is there a God?"

verb frames

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

verb frames

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

being

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

existent existent existent existence

semantic pointers

hyponym

come preexist kick around, knock about, kick about coexist, cohabit indwell prevail, hold, obtain lie in, lie, consist, dwell threaten, endanger, jeopardize, menace, imperil, jeopardise, peril flow distribute dwell, inhabit

happen, occur, take place
<verb.stative> freq. cnt.: 698 freq. cnt.: 698

be

sample sentences

"I lost my wallet
this was during the visit to my parents' house"
"There were two hundred people at his funeral"
"There was a lot of noise in the kitchen"

verb frames

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

be identical or equivalent to
<verb.stative> freq. cnt.: 283 freq. cnt.: 270 freq. cnt.: 13

be equal

sample sentences

"One dollar equals 1,000 rubles these days!"

verb frames

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

verb frames

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

lexical pointers

antonym

differ

semantic pointers

hyponym

correspond, equate match, correspond, fit, agree, check, jibe, gibe, tally represent, stand for, correspond translate

form or compose
<verb.stative> freq. cnt.: 245 freq. cnt.: 189 freq. cnt.: 31 freq. cnt.: 19 freq. cnt.: 5 freq. cnt.: 1

be comprise constitute make up represent

sample sentences

"This money is my only income"
"The stone wall was the backdrop for the performance"
"These constitute my entire belonging"
"The children made up the chorus"
"This sum represents my entire income for a year"
"These few men comprise his entire army"