manner 'та;пэг [n singular] the way someone behaves when they are talking to or dealing with other people: The driver's
■bi'heivjaV [n U) the way someone behaves: His behaviour in school is beginning to improve. I That kind of behavior is not acceotable. + towards Eric's behauiour totuards his family surprised me,
A
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manner was very unfriendly. I She impressed everyone with her businesslike manner.
/К Don't confuse manner (=the way someone behaves when dealing with other
ue 2
t1kue/not tkuc
people) and manners (=polite ways of behaving in social situations, for example knowing how to behave during a meal or when to say 'please' and 'thank you').
BELIEVE/ NOT BELIEVE
sure/mot suke
^ t
see also
/ ъ
know/ not know
to believe something
A
believe bVli:v [v T] to be sure that something is true or that someone is telling the truth: Did the police believe her story? I No-one believed me when I explained that the gun wasn't mine. +■ (tKat) People used to believe the Earth was flat. I The government believes that its campaign against drugs is working. believe in stK/sb (=believe that something or someone exists) Do you believe in ghosts? I If you don't believe in God, why are you getting married in church? firmly/strongly believe Within a few months. Kit firmly believed he had made the biggest mistake of his life
Don't say I am believing', 'he is believing' etc. Say I believe, he believes.
accept A sept |u T] to believe something because someone has persuaded you to believe it: He seems to jusi accept everything they tell him, without questioning it. I I'm not sure whether your story would be accepted by a jury. + that I don't accept that he knew nothing about these payments until now.
/К Don't say M am accepting', 'he is accepting' etc. Say | accept/ he accepts
be taken [n bi: .tcikon 'in,to believe that someone is telling the truth, when in fact they are lying in order to trick you: He told we that it was a genuine diamond. and I was completely taken in. + by Don't be taken in by products claiming to make you lose weight quickly.
gullible 'g^otwl [adj] too willing to believe what other people tell you, so that it is easy for people to cheat you: / was so gullible - I thought he loved me! i cheap goods sold at high prices to gullible tourists
something that someone believes
belief bj>1i;f In CAJ] something you believe to be true
religious/political beliefs They were put in prison because of their religious beliefs.
+ that Their experiments were based on the belief that you could make gold from other metals.
contrary to popular belie/ (=despite what most people believe) formal. Contrary to popular belief, eating carrots does not improve your eyesight.
superstition /.su:p3r'stijjn, .sjuHI.su:-: [n
C/U] a belief that some things are lucky and some are unlucky, even though there are no scientific reasons for believing this: There is
an old superstition that walking under a
ladder is unlucky. I These people lived in an age of superstition and ignorance.
В when something seems to be true
convincing ksn'vinsit] [adj| a convincing explanation, argument, reason, etc seems likely to be true: There is some convincing evidence that women are more intelligent than men. I I didn't find any of their arguments very convincing.
plausible 'рЬ^ЬД/ ladj] something that is plausible seems reasonable and likely to be true, even though it may actually be untrue - use this especially with these words: explanation, excuse, answer.
theory: His explanation sounds fairly plausible to me. I I need to think of a plausible excuse for not going to the meeting.
to not believe something
not believe ш T) Don t
believe everything you read in the newspapers. I / told her I was sorry, but she didn't believe me.
+ (that) I can 't believe he's only 25! Qnot believe a word of it (=not believe it at all) spoken They say they're going to send me the money, but I don't believe a word of it.
Don't say 'I am not believing', 'he is not believing' etc. Say, don4 be|jeve he
doesn't believe
doubt (1:ш1 № T] to think that something is probably not true: Kim never doubted his story.
+ (//whether / doubt whether anyone really understood what I was trying to say.
I doubt it He may be the best person for
the job, but I doubt it.
doubt very much (=think something is
almost certainly not true) She says she'll
leave him, but I doubt very much if she
will.
Д Don't say 'I am doubting', 'he is doubting' etc. Say, doubt he doubts
sceptical BR,T,SH skeptical Avn нк;лч
'sKeptiM [adjl someone who is sceptical about something is not sure whether it is true, or does not really believe it: When I started this investigation I was sceptical. I Russell s sceptical attitude towards the Christian religion
+ about I wish him luck, but Tm sceptical about his chances of success
cynical 'siniM/ [adj] someone who is
cynical is not willing to believe that people have good or honest reasons for doing something: I think movie stars just do charity work to get publicity - but maybe I'm too cynical, i an author with
a cynical view of life
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BELIEVE/NOT BELIEVE
+ about Since her divorce, she's become very cynical about men.
disbelief /.disb^liif/ [n U) the feeling that