behave
To conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way; to conform.
Example
“You need to behave yourself, young lady.”
Other meanings
To act, conduct oneself in a specific manner; used with an adverbial of manner.
“He behaves like a child whenever she's around.”
To act in a polite or proper way.
“His mother threatened to spank him if he didn't behave.”
Synonyms
- act
- do
- bear
- conduct
- carry
Related words
- behaver
- misbehave
- behave oneself
Word history
From Old English "behabban".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “behave” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.