English noun: Begin | |||
1. | Begin (person) Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992) | ||
Synonyms | Menachem Begin | ||
Instance hypernym | national leader, solon, statesman | ||
English verb: begin | |||
1. | begin (change) take the first step or steps in carrying out an action | ||
Samples | We began working at dawn. Who will start?. Get working as soon as the sun rises!. The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia. He began early in the day. Let's get down to work now. | ||
Examples | They begin to move , They begin moving | ||
Synonyms | commence, get, get down, set about, set out, start, start out | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE. Somebody ----s VERB-ing | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | attack, auspicate, bestir oneself, break in, come on, embark, enter, fall, get cracking, get going, get moving, get rolling, get started, get to, get weaving, jump off, launch, plunge, recommence, strike out | ||
Verb group | begin | ||
Antonyms | terminate, end | ||
2. | begin (stative) have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense | ||
Samples | The DMZ begins right over the hill. The second movement begins after the Allegro. Prices for these homes start at $250,000. | ||
Synonyms | start | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Something is ----ing PP. Something ----s something | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | break out, break out, bud, dawn, erupt, kick in, originate, set in | ||
Verb group | begin, begin, start | ||
Antonyms | end, cease, terminate, finish, stop | ||
3. | begin (change) set in motion, cause to start | ||
Samples | The U.S. started a war in the Middle East. The Iraqis began hostilities. Begin a new chapter in your life. | ||
Synonyms | commence, lead off, start | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | commence, embark on, inaugurate, introduce, jump-start, jumpstart, recommence, set off, start, start up, usher in | ||
Cause | begin, start | ||
Verb group | begin | ||
Antonyms | terminate, end | ||
4. | begin (communication) begin to speak or say | ||
Samples | Now listen, friends,. | ||
Examples | They won't begin the story | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | mouth, speak, talk, utter, verbalise, verbalize | ||
5. | begin (stative) be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series | ||
Samples | The number `one' begins the sequence. A terrible murder begins the novel. The convocation ceremony officially begins the semester. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something | ||
Verb group | begin, start | ||
6. | begin (stative) have a beginning, of a temporal event | ||
Samples | WW II began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland. The company's Asia tour begins next month. | ||
Pattern of use | Something is ----ing PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | be | ||
Verb group | begin, begin, commence, lead off, start, start | ||
7. | begin (stative) have a beginning characterized in some specified way | ||
Samples | The novel begins with a murder. My property begins with the three maple trees. Her day begins with a workout. The semester begins with a convocation ceremony. | ||
Synonyms | start | ||
Pattern of use | Something is ----ing PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | be | ||
Verb group | begin, begin, begin, start, start | ||
8. | begin (social) begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object | ||
Samples | Begin a cigar. She started the soup while it was still hot. We started physics in 10th grade. | ||
Synonyms | start | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | act, move | ||
Verb group | begin, start | ||
9. | begin (social) achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative | ||
Samples | This economic measure doesn't even begin to deal with the problem of inflation. You cannot even begin to understand the problem we had to deal with during the war. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | accomplish, achieve, attain, reach | ||
10. | begin (communication) begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language | ||
Samples | She began Russian at an early age. We started French in fourth grade. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Verb group | begin, commence, get, get down, set about, set out, start, start out | ||