begin
♦♦♦ be|gin /bɪg'ɪn/ (begins beginning began begun)
1 [VERB] V to-inf, V to-inf, V -ing
To begin to do something means to start doing it.
He stood up and began to move around the room...
The weight loss began to look more serious...
Snow began falling again.
= start
≠ stop
2 [VERB] V, V n, V n
When something begins or when you begin it, it takes place from a particular time onwards.
The problems began last November...
He has just begun his fourth year in hiding...
The US is prepared to begin talks immediately.
= start, commence
≠ end
3 [VERB] V with n, V by -ing, V n prep
If you begin with something, or begin by doing something, this is the first thing you do.
Could I begin with a few formalities?
...a businessman who began by selling golf shirts from the boot of his car...
He began his career as a sound editor.
= start
≠ end
4 [VERB] no cont, V with quote, V
You use begin to mention the first thing that someone says.
`Professor Theron,' he began, `I'm very pleased to see you'...
He didn't know how to begin.
≠ conclude
5 [VERB] no cont, V as n
If one thing began as another, it first existed in the form of the second thing.
What began as a local festival has blossomed into an international event.
= start
6 [VERB] no cont, V prep/adv
If you say that a thing or place begins somewhere, you are talking about one of its limits or edges.
The fate line begins close to the wrist...
≠ end
7 [VERB] no cont, V with n
If a word begins with a particular letter, that is the first letter of that word.
The first word begins with an F.
= start
≠ end
8 [VERB] no cont, with brd-neg, V to-inf
If you say that you cannot begin to imagine, understand, or explain something, you are emphasizing that it is almost impossible to explain, understand, or imagine.
You can't begin to imagine how much that saddens me.
9 [PHRASE] PHR with cl
You use to begin with when you are talking about the first stage of a situation, event, or process.
It was great to begin with but now it's difficult.
10 [PHRASE] PHR with cl
You use to begin with to introduce the first of several things that you want to say.
`What do scientists you've spoken with think about that?'--`Well, to begin with, they doubt it's going to work.'
= firstly
11
to begin life: see life
1 [VERB] V to-inf, V to-inf, V -ing
To begin to do something means to start doing it.
He stood up and began to move around the room...
The weight loss began to look more serious...
Snow began falling again.
= start
≠ stop
2 [VERB] V, V n, V n
When something begins or when you begin it, it takes place from a particular time onwards.
The problems began last November...
He has just begun his fourth year in hiding...
The US is prepared to begin talks immediately.
= start, commence
≠ end
3 [VERB] V with n, V by -ing, V n prep
If you begin with something, or begin by doing something, this is the first thing you do.
Could I begin with a few formalities?
...a businessman who began by selling golf shirts from the boot of his car...
He began his career as a sound editor.
= start
≠ end
4 [VERB] no cont, V with quote, V
You use begin to mention the first thing that someone says.
`Professor Theron,' he began, `I'm very pleased to see you'...
He didn't know how to begin.
≠ conclude
5 [VERB] no cont, V as n
If one thing began as another, it first existed in the form of the second thing.
What began as a local festival has blossomed into an international event.
= start
6 [VERB] no cont, V prep/adv
If you say that a thing or place begins somewhere, you are talking about one of its limits or edges.
The fate line begins close to the wrist...
≠ end
7 [VERB] no cont, V with n
If a word begins with a particular letter, that is the first letter of that word.
The first word begins with an F.
= start
≠ end
8 [VERB] no cont, with brd-neg, V to-inf
If you say that you cannot begin to imagine, understand, or explain something, you are emphasizing that it is almost impossible to explain, understand, or imagine.
You can't begin to imagine how much that saddens me.
9 [PHRASE] PHR with cl
You use to begin with when you are talking about the first stage of a situation, event, or process.
It was great to begin with but now it's difficult.
10 [PHRASE] PHR with cl
You use to begin with to introduce the first of several things that you want to say.
`What do scientists you've spoken with think about that?'--`Well, to begin with, they doubt it's going to work.'
= firstly
11
to begin life: see life