Standard Lemma guide

behoove

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /bɪˈhuːv/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /bɪˈhuːv/
  • rhymes with -uːv
  • CMU ARPABET: B IH0 HH UW1 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To befit, be appropriate or necessary to somebody. Alternative form of behove.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, transitive

Examples

  • It ill behooves my mother to complain.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To be fitting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

be appropriate or necessary

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • It behooves us to reflect on this matter

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: behove

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: meet, fit, conform to

History

Etymology

See behove.