English > behave: 3 senses > verb 1, body| Meaning | Behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself. |
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| Pattern | Somebody ----s; Somebody ----s Adjective |
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| Example | "Don't behave like a fool" |
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| Synonyms | act, do |
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| Narrower | act, play, act as | pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind |
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| act involuntarily, act reflexively | Act in an uncontrolled manner |
| backslap | Display excessive cordiality (towards) |
| break down, lose it, snap | Lose control of one's emotions |
| bungle | spoil by behaving clumsily or foolishly |
| dally, dawdle | Waste time |
| fall over backwards, bend over backwards | try very hard to please someone |
| follow | Accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of |
| footle | act foolishly, as by talking / talking nonsense |
| freeze | Suddenly behave coldly and formally |
| frivol, trifle | Act frivolously |
| hugger mugger | Act stealthily or secretively |
| joke, jest | Act in a funny or teasing way |
| make | Behave in a certain way |
| make | act in a certain way so as to acquire |
| make as if | Begin or appear to begin an action |
| menace | Act in a threatening manner |
| optimize, optimise | act as an optimist and take a sunny view of the world |
| piffle | Act in a trivial or ineffective way |
| play, toy | Engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously |
| presume | Take liberties or act with too much confidence |
| quack | act as a medical quack or a charlatan |
| ramp, rage, storm | Behave violently, as if in state of a great anger |
| relax, loosen up | Become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner |
| romanticize | Act in a romantic / romantic way |
| sauce | Behave saucily or impudently towards |
| sentimentalise, sentimentalize, sentimentize, sentimentise | Act in a sentimental way or indulge in sentimental thoughts or expression |
| stooge | act as a stooge, in a compliant or subordinate manner |
| swagger, bluster, swash | Act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner |
| swell, puff up | Become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger |
| vulgarize, vulgarise | Act in a vulgar manner |
| wanton | Behave extremely cruelly and brutally |
| Similar to | act, play, act as | pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind |
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| dissemble, pretend, act | Behave unnaturally or affectedly |
| Spanish | actuar, comportarse, comportar, comprtarse, hacer, obrar, portarse, portar |
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| Catalan | actuar, comportar-se, comportar, fer, obrar, portar |
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