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being

being

451 3.9
The fact of existing or living
  • noun
  • /ˈbiːɪŋ/
: existencia
  • - Well Dr. Dave, thanks for making me feel like a human being again.
  • well-being
  • health and well-being
  • improve well-being

And so part of this is being with it.

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Examples

  • Lando looked around, spotted a solitary human being towards the back of the room, and headed in that direction.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I deeply respect you as a human being.

  • The family is concerned for her well-being.

  • Your entire being is invested with this notion of self.

  • It's just wonderful to see human beings again, besides Francis, I mean.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • You're clearly a decent human being, a good citizen.

  • Native peoples have their own agendas to better their state of being, strengthen their position in society, and so forth.

    Academic text (2011)
  • We are all human beings with unique experiences and perspectives.

  • You'd be surprised at how much pain a human being can endure before they die.

  • You know, there are still islands in Fiji where no human being has ever set foot.

Synonyms

existence
vsbeing
710 2.8

The state of being real or alive

is broader and does not stress actual life or physical reality
beingness
vsbeing
1 9.9

A state of existing

is identical in meaning but differs only in word form
inbeing
vsbeing
  • Formal
1 9.9

The fact of existing as a quality inside something

is the general state and does not focus on inherent quality

Antonyms

312 2.1

A lack of someone or something that should be there

5 7.0

A state in which something is not there

nonbeing
  • Formal
1 9.8

The state of not existing

Idioms

For now until the situation changes

being a bitch
  • Offensive
63 9.9

Treating other people in an unkind, harsh way

Known mostly because they are a celebrity, not for any skill

Changing how you act and look to fit different people or places

2 9.6

Saying this shows you are serious and not joking

being a dicklick
  • Offensive
9.9

To act too polite and flattering to someone in power to gain approval

Compounds

616 1.0

A person who can think, feel, speak, and walk upright

176 2.4

A state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy

111 3.0

A short time that lasts for now

A living creature believed to come from another planet

A being like a ghost or spirit that can affect people

A perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing creator and ruler of the universe worshipped in religions that believe in one god

A god who has unlimited power over everything

5 9.9

Feeling proud to come from the countryside and the working class in the United States

spiritual being
  • Literature
3 7.5

An invisible presence people believe can affect human life

A made-up creature from old stories or folk tales

imaginary being
  • Literature
2 7.3

A creature that people imagine and that is not real

being a nympho
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who has a very strong interest in sex that people think is too much

Playing a game of crossing pretend roads and obstacles like the video game Frogger

A state of freedom without ties or limits

Surface Forms

being singular
beings plural

Morphology

being = be (transparent) = be + ing

A direct nominalization from the verb 'be' yielding the abstract noun 'the state of existing', which is predictable for learners who know 'be' and '-ing'.

Etymology

Being comes from the old verb be, which means 'to exist' and you can see it in been and the forms 'am', 'is', 'are'. So being as a noun means the 'state of existing', the idea of simply existing.