behold

/biˈhoʊld/

/biˈhʌʊld/

Other forms: beheld; beholding; beholds

To behold is to see. You could behold the changing sky as the sun sets. It’s old-fashioned and fancy, so magicians like to use it, as in “Behold! I shall pull a rabbit out of my hat!”

Have you ever heard "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"? That can help you remember that to behold is to see something and to hold it in your attention. To behold is to look intensely — it’s much more than a glance. A good example of beholding is when you take the time to check out something special like that beautiful sunset, or a bunny hopping out of a hat and handing out candy.

Definitions of behold

1. verb

   see with attention
   “behold Christ!”

   synonyms: lay eyes on

   type of:

   see

   perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
2. interjection

   (old-fashioned) used to demand someone look at something