begin

- definition

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verb

/bɪˈɡɪn/

present tense
I/you/we/they	begin
he/she/it	begins
present participle	beginning
past tense	began
past participle	begun

1
[transitive] to start doing something
begin doing something:
He began shouting at them.
begin to do something:
Suddenly the rain began to fall.
be just beginning to do something (=to be at the earliest stage of doing something):
The buds were just beginning to open.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
1. a.
  [transitive] to start feeling or thinking something
  begin to do something:
  Now we were beginning to feel excited.
  I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever find you!
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
2. b.
  [intransitive/transitive] to make an activity or process start or exist
  Their truck began the steep descent to the village.
  The police have already begun their investigation.
  begin (something) as something:
  He began his working life as a waiter.
  begin (something) by doing something:
  I’d like to begin by thanking you all for coming.
  begin (something) with something:
  We began the meeting with a discussion about the budget.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
3. c.
  [transitive] to give your attention to something for the first time
  I began the book with high hopes.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
2
[intransitive] to start happening or existing
My troubles began the night I met Roger.
The ceremony is due to begin at noon.
She felt her life was just beginning.
begin as:
It began as a practical joke.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
1. a.
  if a sentence, book, etc. begins with a particular letter, word, etc., that is the first one in it
  begin with:
  We usually use “an” before a word beginning with a vowel.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
2. b.
  if a place begins somewhere, that is the first point where you consider it to be
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
3. c.
  if an activity or process begins with something, that is the first thing that happens in it
  begin with:
  All meals begin with a short prayer.
  The competition began with one of the teams being disqualified.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
4. d.
  to start speaking
  “It isn’t like that”, he began, but Ben interrupted him.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin

phrases

can’t begin to imagine/understand/explain etc.
spoken
used for emphasizing that something is very difficult to imagine, understand, etc.
I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like for him, bringing up three kids on his own.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
it all began
used for introducing a long story or account of something
It all began on one stormy night in May 1998.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
to begin with
1. 1
  spoken used for introducing the first thing in a list of things you are going to say
  “Why were you annoyed?” “Well, to begin with, I missed my bus.”
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin
2. 2
  before or during the first part of an activity or process
  How did you get involved to begin with?
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of begin

This is the American English definition of begin. View British English definition of begin.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

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