beginverb [ I or T ]
uk/bɪˈɡɪn/us/bɪˈɡɪn/present participle beginning, past tense began, past participle begunbegin verb [ I or T ] (START TO HAPPEN)
A1 to start to happen or exist:
What time does the concert begin?
The bridge was begun five years ago and the estimated cost has already doubled.
The film they want to watch begins at seven.
The meeting began promisingly, but then things started to go wrong.
More examples
- The plane began to make its final descent into the airport.
- Stir the sauce gently until it begins to boil.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Starting and beginning
- be in the first flush of idiom
- become
- branch out
- break into sth
- bring
- export
- go ahead
- ground
- initiator
- instate
- introduce
- kick
- kick in
- kick-start
- strike
- touch sth off
- train
- trigger
- wade in
- weave
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begin verb [ I or T ] (START TO DO)
A2 to start to do something:
I began the book six months ago, but I can't seem to finish it.
[ + -ing verb ] Jane has just begun learning to drive.
If you want to learn to play a musical instrument, it might be a good idea to begin on something simple.
[ + to infinitive ] After waiting for half an hour she was beginning to get angry.
I have so much to tell you, I don't know where to begin.
More examples
- The audience was becoming restless as they waited for the performance to begin.
- You will begin to feel sleepy as the drug enters your bloodstream.
- She cleared her throat nervously before she began to speak.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Starting and beginning
- be in the first flush of idiom
- become
- branch out
- break into sth
- bring
- export
- go ahead
- ground
- initiator
- instate
- introduce
- kick
- kick in
- kick-start
- strike
- touch sth off
- train
- trigger
- wade in
- weave
See more results »
begin verb [ I or T ] (START SPEAKING)
to start speaking:
[ + speech ] "Well," he began. "I don't quite know how to tell you this."
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Starting and beginning
- be in the first flush of idiom
- become
- branch out
- break into sth
- bring
- export
- go ahead
- ground
- initiator
- instate
- introduce
- kick
- kick in
- kick-start
- strike
- touch sth off
- train
- trigger
- wade in
- weave
See more results »
begin verb [ I or T ] (FIRST PART)
to have something as the first part:
The word "cat" begins with the letter "c".
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Starting and beginning
- be in the first flush of idiom
- become
- branch out
- break into sth
- bring
- export
- go ahead
- ground
- initiator
- instate
- introduce
- kick
- kick in
- kick-start
- strike
- touch sth off
- train
- trigger
- wade in
- weave
See more results »
Idiom(s)
to begin with
can't (even) begin