haveauxiliary verb [ + past participle ]
ukstrong /hæv/weak /həv//əv/usstrong /hæv/weak /həv//əv/had, had also 've/'sA2 used with the past participle of other verbs to form the present perfect and past perfect:
I've heard that story before.
Diane's already gone.
John hasn't phoned.
I haven't visited London before.
Have you seen Roz?
Has she been invited?
They still hadn't had any news when I spoke to them yesterday.
formal Had I known (= if I had known) you were coming, I'd have booked a larger room.
More examples
- Talks between management and unions have collapsed.
- House prices have come down recently.
- Lots of people have complained about the noise.
- Many miners have suffered from the effects of coal dust in their lungs.
- I could never have achieved this without the encouragement of my husband and family.
haveverb
ukstrong /hæv//həv//əv/us/hæv//həv//əv/hadhave verb (POSSESS)
A1 [ T not continuous ] also 've/'s, UK also have got to own:
They have a beautiful home.
He has plenty of money but no style.
I've got two brothers.
Do you have time to finish the report today?
I've got a suggestion/an idea.
have the decency, good sense, etc. to do sth
to do one good thing, although you do other bad or silly things:
At least he had the good sense to turn the gas off.
At least she had the decency to apologize.
More examples
- These books have lovely clear print.
- The school likes to have a contact number for parents during school hours.
- Now that we have cable, we get a wonderfully crisp picture, even on our old TV.
- I love football, but unfortunately I have no talent as a player.
- At some point in the distant future I would like to have my own house.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Having and owning - general words
- -owned
- attach to sb/sth
- be endowed with sth idiom
- bear
- bearer
- belong
- belong to sb
- carry
- claim
- endow
- hold
- interest
- mistress
- not/never want for anything idiom
- owner
- ownership
- proprietress
- revert to sb
- stake somewhere/sth out
- want
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have verb (BE ILL)
A1 [ T ] UK also have got If you have a particular illness, you suffer from it:
Have you ever had measles?
I've got a cold.
More examples
- Following a routine check-up, Mrs Mason was discovered to have heart disease.
- Emily has a very nasty cough.
- She went home early because she had a bad headache.
- My sister has diabetes and has to give herself insulin injections.
- I had a terrible hangover the next morning.
- John had a heart attack three years ago.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Being & falling ill
- ail
- be green around the gills idiom
- be laid up idiom
- be out of sorts idiom
- bring
- burned out
- burnt out
- catch your death of cold idiom
- declension
- develop
- food
- KO
- pick sth up
- pneumonia
- relapse
- shiver
- shivery
- sicken
- strike
- upset
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have verb (DO)
A2 [ T ] to perform the action mentioned:
have a wash/bath/shower
I had a swim.
We had a short walk after lunch.
I've never done it before but I'd like to have a try (= to try).
Why don't you have a rest?
More examples
- She likes to have an afternoon nap.
- May I have a look at your newspaper?" "Of course you can."
- I'll bring some food along and we can have a picnic.
- I had a chat with my boss today about a possible salary increase.
- We had a dance and afterwards we sat outside and talked.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Acting and acts
- (your) every move idiom
- -ation
- act/do sth on your own responsibility idiom
- action
- activity
- agency
- ant
- be up to sth idiom
- feel
- gambit
- get around to sth
- give yourself over/up to sth
- go about sth
- go about your business idiom
- go through with sth
- hand
- manoeuvring
- talk
- talk the talk idiom
- up to
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have verb (EAT/DRINK)
A1 [ T ] to eat or drink something:
I had prawns and rice for lunch.
Can I have a drink of water?
When are we having dinner?
More examples
- Make sure your hands are clean before you have your dinner.
- May I show you to your table, sir, or would you prefer to have a drink at the bar first?
- My father always has a biscuit and a cup of tea at bedtime.
- Let's go out on Friday - we'll have a curry and then go to the movies.
- Why don't we have lunch together on Friday?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Eating
- al desko
- ate
- binge
- binge eating
- bite
- consume
- feast
- feast on sth
- feeder
- feeding
- finish
- gorge
- pig out
- put sth away
- scarf
- scoff
- shovel sth into your mouth idiom
- stoke
- trough
- tuck
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Drinking
have verb (RECEIVE/ALLOW)
[ T ] to receive, accept, or allow something to happen:
Here, have some more coffee.
[ + to infinitive ] My mother's having visitors (to stay) next week.
Let me have the book back next week.
In the end they solved their problems and she had him back (= allowed him to come and live with her again).
I looked in all the shops for Worcestershire sauce but there was none to be had (= none that anyone could obtain).
I kept telling him that you were French but he wouldn't have it (= would not accept that it was true).
[ + -ing verb ] I won't have those kids running all over my flowerbeds (= I refuse to allow them to do this).
More examples
- You would be wise to have the appropriate vaccinations before you go abroad.
- Let me have your decision by next week.
- I don't want to diminish her achievements, but she did have a lot of help.
- I've had a letter from the tax authorities concerning my tax payments.
- My father wouldn't have any animals in the house.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Getting, receiving and accepting
- acquihire
- acquire
- acquisition
- awardee
- carve
- draw
- earn
- fill
- get sth out of sth
- glom onto sth/sb
- go to sb
- grasp
- obtain
- pick
- score
- secure
- snatch
- snatch at sth
- wangle
- wrest
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Allowing and permitting
have verb (MAKE HAPPEN)
B1 [ T ] to cause something to happen or someone to do something:
[ + past participle ] We're having the house painted next month.
[ + infinitive without to ] If you wait, I'll have someone collect it for you.
[ + obj + -ing verb ] The film soon had us crying.
Gus will have it working in no time.
She had her parents down (= invited them to stay) for a week in the summer.
We had the boat out (= went out in the boat) for the first time this week.
We often have friends over/round (= invite them to come) on a Saturday night.
More examples
- Many chemicals have a damaging effect on the environment.
- This decision will have dire consequences for local people.
- I took the coat back to the shop to have it altered.
- Have you had your ears pierced? Oh yes, I can see you have.
- I haven't had my holiday photos developed yet.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Causing things to happen
- -ization
- -ize
- actuation
- agent
- awaken (sth) in sb
- be associated with sth
- beget
- draw
- equal
- fuel
- instigate
- instigator
- introduce
- lie
- plant
- rise
- usher
- usher sth in
- wreak
- wrought
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have verb (SUFFER)
B1 [ T + past participle ] to suffer something that someone does to you:
She had her car stolen (= it was stolen) last week.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Occurring and happening
- afoot
- assail
- asynchronous
- attendant
- be at work idiom
- become
- come round
- come up
- event
- go ahead
- go down
- go hand in hand with sth idiom
- go together
- go with sth
- hand
- happen
- intervene
- materialize
- turn up
- underway
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have verb (EXPERIENCE)
A2 [ T ] to experience something:
We're having a wonderful time here in Venice.
We didn't have any difficulty/problem finding the house.
He hasn't been having much luck recently.
More examples
- I think she's very conscious of being the only person in the office who didn't have a university education.
- I sometimes have difficulty distinguishing Spanish from Portuguese.
- I've never had any doubt at all - I know this is the right thing to do.
- Like so many men, he has problems committing himself to a relationship.
- She had a strong desire to go back to her home country before she died.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Experiencing and suffering
- afflict
- affliction
- almost/nearly die of sth idiom
- be a martyr to sth idiom
- be a victim of your own success idiom
- be devoured by sth idiom
- count
- get the short end of the stick idiom
- get/have your fingers burned idiom
- go through sth
- grip
- hands-on
- ride
- sample
- seat
- sense
- undergo
- underwent
- ups and downs
- writhe
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have verb (BABY)
A2 [ T ] to give birth to a baby:
Elaine had a baby girl yesterday.
My mother had me at home.
be having a baby, twins, etc.
to be pregnant:
I hear his wife's having a baby.
More examples
- I expect they plan to have children in the course of time.
- Your life changes dramatically when you have a baby.
- They were so late getting to the hospital, she nearly had her baby in the taxi.
- Have you heard whether Susan's had the baby yet?
- My sister-in-law had two sets of twins.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Obstetrics: birth
- antenatal
- bear
- birth defect
- born
- born
- breech
- C-section
- caesarean
- childbirth
- contraction
- delivery
- give birth idiom
- induce
- maternity ward
- midwifery
- obstetric
- posh
- prenatal
- puerperal
- rooming-in
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have verb (SEX)
[ T not continuous ] mainly UK slang to have sex with someone:
He asked me how many men I'd had.
Idiom(s)
and have done with it
a good time was had by all
have it in you
have it in for sb
have it off
have it out with sb
have nothing on sb or sth
not have any of it
Phrasal verb(s)
have sb on
have (got) sth on
have sth out
have sb up
havemodal verb
ukstrong /hæv//həv//əv/us/hæv//həv//əv/have (got) to do sth
More examples
- You have to go to college for a lot of years if you want to be a doctor.
- Those pictures will have to come down .
- We may have to sell the house, but I hope it won't come to that.
- Obviously teachers have to be good communicators.
- The children have to learn to tidy up after themselves .
A2 to need to or be forced:
I have to go to San Francisco tomorrow on business.
What time do you have to be there?
Do we have to finish this today?
We'll have to start keeping detailed records.
Jackie's ill so they've had to change their plans.
C2 used to say that something must be true:
That total has to be right - I've checked it twice.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Duty, obligation and responsibility
- accountable
- answer for sb/sth
- answer for sth
- answer to sb
- answerable
- commitment
- fail
- have sth on your hands idiom
- I am not my brother's keeper idiom
- in the hot seat idiom
- incharge
- it's your own lookout idiom
- portfolio
- responsibility
- responsible
- risk
- saddle sb with sth
- shoulder
- social contract
- stick
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
True, real, false, and unreal