to believe

Examples

• All

• Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he believed it could be done within a year.

  Academic text (2011)

• Both home and school must be strong advocates and believe that children can do well in mathematics.

  Academic text (2011)

• Second of all, people have to believe that it's their company.

• At the end of the day I believe college should be free.

• That leads me to believe that peace was possible.

• It's important that you believe me.

  All of Us Strangers (2023)

• We can inspire people by telling them, believe me, it works.

• Beyond Syria, there is reason to believe the outcome of the Arab Spring will be positive.

  Academic text (2011)

• I'm very proud of it and I believe that's it.

• I believe that honesty is the best policy.

Synonyms

T

to think

vsto believe

∞ 1.0

To have an opinion or guess about something

expresses confidence or reliance rather than only an opinion

F

to feel

vsto believe

∞ 1.7

To think something is true without full proof

is based more on information or reason rather than on feeling

S

to suppose

vsto believe

∞ 2.7

To think something is true without clear proof

involves acceptance with more confidence, not only a hypothetical assumption

T

to trust

vsto believe

∞ 1.0

To believe someone will do what they say

also includes accepting facts or forming an opinion, not only confidence

A

to assume

vsto believe

∞ 3.2

Think something is true without proof

is about accepting with confidence rather than merely taking things for granted

C

to consider

vsto believe

∞ 1.8

To think that someone or something is a certain way

is often a more deliberate evaluation than simple acceptance or trust

U

to understand

vsto believe

∞ 1.0

To believe something is true from what you hear or read

rests on information or inference rather than on trust or feeling

A

to accept

vsto believe

∞ 1.3

To believe or agree that something is true

also covers personal confidence and trust, not only agreement

B

to buy

vsto believe

• Informal

989 7.1

To accept something as true

is a general or neutral acceptance, not the informal slang way

I

to imagine

vsto believe

795 1.5

To think something is true without clear proof

involves accepting as true or having confidence, not only picturing possibilities

H

to hold

vsto believe

732 1.1

To believe something to be true

focuses on accepting or having confidence rather than only keeping an opinion

B

to buy it

vsto believe

• Informal

140 7.6

To believe a story or explanation that may be untrue

is broader and neutral, not informal slang for accepting claims

Antonyms

D

to distrust

31 4.2

To think that someone or something cannot be relied on

D

to disbelieve

14 4.7

To not accept that something is true

Idioms

B

believe it or not

• Informal

20 4.4

Say this before a surprising fact that is hard to accept

D

to don't believe a word of

12 4.1

Not believe anything someone says

B

to believe my eyes

• Informal

5 7.2

To be very surprised by what you see because it seems unreal

B

to believe my ears

• Informal

2 7.2

To be so surprised by something you hear that you cannot accept it

B

believe you me

• Informal

1 8.8

I promise that what I say is true

Phrasal Verbs

B

to believe in

∞ 1.7

To trust that a person or thing is good

M

to make believe

17 3.8

Pretend something is real for fun or play

B

to believe in luck

10 3.1

To trust that chance affects what happens

Compounds

M

make-believe

33 3.2

Play in which people pretend and imagine stories and roles

M

make-believe

3 3.7

Imaginary and made to seem real for play or stories

How Certain

to know

∞ 1.0

to believe

∞ 1.0

to suspect

925 3.6

to think

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Etymology