begin

[[t]bɪgɪ̱n[/t]]

♦

begins, beginning, began, begun

1) VERB To begin to do something means to start doing it.

[V to-inf] He stood up and began to move around the room...

[V to-inf] The weight loss began to look more serious...

[V -ing] Snow began falling again.

Syn:

start

Ant:

stop

2) V-ERG When something begins or when you begin it, it takes place from a particular time onwards.

The problems began last November...

[V n] He has just begun his fourth year in hiding...

[V n] The US is prepared to begin talks immediately.

Syn:

start, commence

Ant:

end

3) VERB If you begin with something, or begin by doing something, this is the first thing you do.

[V with n] Could I begin with a few formalities?

[V by -ing] ...a businessman who began by selling golf shirts from the boot of his car...

[V n prep] He began his career as a sound editor.

Syn:

start

Ant:

end

4) VERB: no cont You use begin to mention the first thing that someone says.

[V with quote] `Professor Theron,' he began, `I'm very pleased to see you'...

He didn't know how to begin.

Ant:

conclude

5) VERB: no cont If one thing began as another, it first existed in the form of the second thing.

[V as n] What began as a local festival has blossomed into an international event.

Syn:

start

6) VERB: no cont If you say that a thing or place begins somewhere, you are talking about one of its limits or edges.

[V prep/adv] The fate line begins close to the wrist...

[V prep/adv] Rue Guynemer begins at the front of the Fitzgerald site.

Ant:

end

7) VERB: no cont If a word begins with a particular letter, that is the first letter of that word.

[V with n] The first word begins with an F.

Syn:

start

Ant:

end

8) VERB: no cont, with brd-neg (emphasis) 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.

[V to-inf] You can't begin to imagine how much that saddens me.

9) PHRASE: PHR with cl You use the phrase 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.

Syn:

at first

10) PHRASE: PHR with cl You use the phrase 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.'

Syn:

firstly

11) charity begins at home → see charity

begin life → see life