v.
(sing. present am; are; is; pl. present are; 1st and 3rd sing. past was; 2nd sing. past and pl. past were; present subjunctive be; past subjunctive were; present participle being; past part. been)
-
(usu. there is/are)
exist; be present.
- take place.
▸occupy a position in space.
▸stay in the same place or condition.
▸come; go; visit.
- (when connecting a subject and complement) having the specified state, nature, or role:
Amy was 91.
▸represent or signify.
- informal say:
last time I saw her she was all ‘You need to quit smoking!’
aux. v.
- used with a present participle to form continuous tenses.
- used with a past participle to form the passive voice.
- used to indicate something that is due to happen.
▸used to express obligation or necessity.
▸used to hypothesize about something that might happen.
Phrase
- the be-all and end-all
informal a feature of an activity that is of greater importance than any other. - not be oneself
not feel in one's usual physical or mental state. - -to-be
of the future: his bride-to-be.
Etymology
OE bēon, an irregular verb whose full conjugation derives from several orig. distinct verbs; the forms am and is are rel. to L. sum and est.