believe

/bəˈliv/

/biˈliv/

Other forms: believed; believes; believing

If you believe something, you think it’s true. If you are easily duped then you might believe your little sister when she says a thief broke into the house and ate all your candy.

Believe comes from old German words meaning to have trust. Belief doesn’t require proof, just acceptance. If you’re on a jury and the prosecution and defense present two different versions of what happened, you have to decide which side you believe. To believe can also mean having confidence. If you believe in me, it doesn’t mean that you think I’m real (unless I’m a ghost). It means you think I can do what I set out to do.

Definitions of believe

1. verb

   accept as true; take to be true
   “I believed his report”

   “We didn't believe his stories from the War”

   “She believes in spirits”

   antonyms:

   disbelieve

   reject as false; refuse to accept

   types:

   infer, understand

   believe to be the case

   swallow

   believe or accept without questioning or challenge

   buy

   accept as true

   bank, rely, swear, trust

   have confidence or faith in

   believe in

   have a firm conviction as to the goodness of something

   credit

   have trust in; trust in the truth or veracity of

   misbelieve

   hold a false or unorthodox belief

   lean, rely

   rely on for support

   bet, calculate, count, depend, look, reckon

   have faith or confidence in

   type of:

   accept

   consider or hold as true
2. verb

   be confident about something
   “I believe that he will come back from the war”

   synonyms: trust

   type of:

   anticipate, expect

   regard something as probable or likely
3. verb

   credit with veracity
   “You cannot believe this man”

   “Should we believe a publication like the National Enquirer?”

   type of:

   credit

   have trust in; trust in the truth or veracity of
4. verb

   follow a credo; have a faith; be a believer
   “When you hear his sermons, you will be able to believe, too”

   types:

   misbelieve

   hold a false or unorthodox belief
5. verb

   judge or regard; look upon; judge
   “I believe her to be very smart”

   synonyms: conceive, consider, think

   types:

   hold

   remain committed to

   rethink

   change one's mind

   think

   dispose the mind in a certain way

   esteem, look on, look upon, perceive, regard as, repute, take to be, think of

   look on as or consider

   feel

   have a feeling or perception about oneself in reaction to someone's behavior or attitude

   consider, reckon, regard, see, view

   deem to be

   expect

   consider reasonable or due

   receive

   regard favorably or with disapproval

   reconsider

   consider again; give new consideration to; usually with a view to changing

   reconsider

   consider again (a bill) that had been voted upon before, with a view to altering it

   include

   consider as part of something

   backpedal

   modify one's opinion, make it less strong

   about-face

   change one's mind and assume the opposite viewpoint

   consider

   regard or treat with consideration, respect, and esteem

   call

   consider or regard as being

   like

   feel about or towards; consider, evaluate, or regard

   relativise, relativize

   consider or treat as relative

   identify

   consider (oneself) as similar to somebody else

   favor, favour

   consider as the favorite

   abstract

   consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically

   reify

   consider an abstract concept to be real

   idealise, idealize

   consider or render as ideal

   deem, hold, take for, view as

   keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view

   esteem, prise, prize, respect, value

   regard highly; think much of

   disesteem, disrespect

   have little or no respect for; hold in contempt

   make

   consider as being

   capitalise, capitalize

   consider expenditures as capital assets rather than expenses

   appreciate, prize, treasure, value

   hold dear

   type of:

   evaluate, judge, pass judgment

   form a critical opinion of