verb + behaviour : change, control, tackle, tolerate; display, exhibit
2
verb + behaviour : monitor, observe SYNONYMS behaviour NOUN 1
conduct: He has trouble understanding that other people judge him by his conduct.
actions: Jack was the sort of man who did not like his actions questioned.
demeanour: …her calm and cheerful demeanour.
ways: He said he was against returning to old authoritarian ways.
be|hav|iour|al /b I he I vjərəl/ in AM, use behavioral ADJ [ADJ n] Behavioural means relating to the behaviour of a person or animal, or to the study of their behaviour. □ …emotional and behavioural problems.
be|hav|iour|ism /b I he I vjər I zəm/ in AM, use behaviorism N‑UNCOUNT Behaviourism is the belief held by some psychologists that the only valid method of studying the psychology of people or animals is to observe how they behave. ● be|hav|iour|ist (behaviourists ) N‑COUNT □ Animal behaviourists have been studying these monkeys for decades.
be|head /b I he d/ (beheads , beheading , beheaded ) VERB [usu passive] If someone is beheaded , their head is cut off, usually because they have been found guilty of a crime. □ [be V -ed] Charles I was beheaded by the Cromwellians.
be|held /b I he ld/ Beheld is the past tense of behold .
be|he|moth /b I hiː mɒθ, [AM ] -məθ/ (behemoths ) N‑COUNT If you refer to something as a behemoth , you mean that it is extremely large, and often that it is unpleasant, inefficient, or difficult to manage. [JOURNALISM , LITERARY , DISAPPROVAL ] □ The city is a sprawling behemoth with no heart. □ …his behemoth 1,047 page book.
be|hest /b I he st/ (behests ) PHRASE If something is done at someone's behest , it is done because they have ordered or requested it. [FORMAL ] □ Both posts were removed at the school's behest.
behind
➊ PREPOSITION AND ADVERB USES
➋ NOUN USE
➊ be|hind ◆◆◆ /b I ha I nd/ In addition to the uses shown below, behind is also used in a few phrasal verbs, such as 'fall behind' and 'lie behind'. → Please look at categories 14 to 17 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 PREP If something is behind a thing or person, it is on the other side of them from you, or nearer their back rather than their front. □ I put one of the cushions behind his head. □ They were parked behind the truck. ● ADV [from ADV ] Behind is also an adverb. □ Rising into the hills behind are 800 acres of parkland. □ She was attacked from behind.
2 PREP If you are walking or travelling behind someone or something, you are following them. □ Keith wandered along behind him. □ Myra and Sam and the children were driving behind them. ● ADV [ADV after v] Behind is also an adverb. □ The troopers followed behind, every muscle tensed for the sudden gunfire.
3 PREP If someone is behind a desk, counter, or bar, they are on the other side of it from where you are. □ The colonel was sitting behind a cheap wooden desk. □ He could just about see the little man behind the counter.
4 PREP When you shut a door or gate behind you, you shut it after you have gone through it. □ I walked out and closed the door behind me. □ He slammed the gate shut behind him.
5 PREP The people, reason, or events behind a situation are the causes of it or are responsible for it. □ It is still not clear who was behind the killing. □ He is embarrassed about the motives behind his decision.
6 PREP If something or someone is behind you, they support you and help you. □ He had the state's judicial power behind him.
7 PREP If you refer to what is behind someone's outside appearance, you are referring to a characteristic which you cannot immediately see or is not obvious, but which you think is there. □ What lay behind his anger was really the hurt he felt at Grace's refusal.
8 PREP If you are behind someone, you are less successful than them, or have done less or advanced less. □ Food production has already fallen behind the population growth. ● ADV [be ADV , ADV after v] Behind is also an adverb. □ The rapid development of technology means that she is now far behind, and will need retraining.
9 PREP If an experience is behind you, it happened in your past and will not happen again, or no longer affects you. □ Maureen put the nightmare behind her.
10 PREP If you have a particular achievement behind you, you have managed to reach this achievement, and other people consider it to be important or valuable. □ He has 20 years of loyal service to Barclays Bank behind him.
11 PREP If something is behind schedule, it is not as far advanced as people had planned. If someone is behind schedule, they are not progressing as quickly at something as they had planned. □ The work is 22 weeks behind schedule.
12 ADV [ADV after v] If you stay behind , you remain in a place after other people have gone. □ About 1,200 personnel will remain behind to take care of the air base.
13 ADV [ADV after v] If you leave something or someone behind , you do not take them with you when you go. □ The rebels fled into the mountains, leaving behind their weapons and supplies.
14 to do something behind someone's back → see back ➋
15 behind bars → see bar
16 behind the scenes → see scene