believing
/bɪˈliːv/ (bre, ipa) · [bɪlˈivɪŋ] /bɪˈliːv/ (ame, ipa) · [bɪlˈivɪŋ] /bə-ˈlēv How to pronounce believe (audio)/ (ame, mw)
believing — verb
- believingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- believings3rd person singular
- believinging-ing form
- believingedpast simple
1. to feel sure that an idea, story, or piece of information is correct, or to feel
to feel sure that an idea, story, or piece of information is correct, or to feel sure that someone is telling the truth
Eli still believes that the missing keys will turn up somewhere in the kitchen.
believe + that-clause for confident factual claim
Meera did not believe a word of the salesman's story about the broken vacuum.
negative form: 'not believe a word of' for total disbelief
Most scientists believe the painting was finished long before 1800.
Camila told the police what she saw, and they believed her.
Do you really believe everything you read on travel blogs about cheap flights?
- doubt
feel unsure something is true
- disbelieve
feel sure something is not true
文法句型
believe + that-clause
believe + noun phrase
believe + someone
用法筆記
Frequently introduces a that-clause when stating an opinion held with confidence. The object can be the claim itself (a statement, theory) or the person making the claim.
常見錯誤
2. in the negative form, to express that a claim or piece of information seems fals
in the negative form, to express that a claim or piece of information seems false or impossible to accept
Élise could not believe that her brother had walked twenty miles in one day.
could not believe + that-clause for rejecting an unlikely claim
Shirin did not believe the rumour about her neighbour selling the house.
negative + noun object
I just don't believe the weather forecast for Saturday.
The judge did not believe the witness who kept changing his story.
- accept
agree that something is true
文法句型
not believe + that-clause
cannot believe + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the negative. Distinguishes from sense 1 only by polarity — the structure is identical, but the meaning shifts to active rejection of the claim.
常見錯誤
3. used to introduce a fact or event that the listener will find surprising, even t
used to introduce a fact or event that the listener will find surprising, even though the speaker is sure it actually happened
You won't believe this, but Imani just won a free trip to Iceland on the radio.
fixed informal opener 'you won't believe this, but…'
Putri walked into the cafe and, would you believe it, sat next to her old teacher.
parenthetical 'would you believe it' for storytelling
You'd never believe how quiet the train station was on Sunday morning.
Christopher fixed the old radio in ten minutes — would you believe that?
- guess what
informal opener for surprising news
- imagine
softer, often in 'imagine my surprise…'
文法句型
you won't believe + noun/that-clause
you'd never believe + noun/that-clause
用法筆記
Distinct from sense 1 by its rhetorical function — the speaker already accepts the fact; the phrase frames it as remarkable for the listener. Common in spoken stories and casual writing.
常見錯誤
4. used as an imperative to stress that the speaker is being sincere and that what
used as an imperative to stress that the speaker is being sincere and that what they are saying is genuinely true, often when the listener might doubt it
Believe me, Liang has never lied to his grandparents about anything important.
'believe me' as opening emphasiser
The exam was harder than last year's, believe me.
'believe me' as sentence-final emphasiser
Leo warned us about the traffic on Route 9, and believe me, he was right.
Believe you me, that little dog is much smarter than he looks.
- honestly
less forceful; common in casual speech
- trust me
very close synonym, often interchangeable
- I'm telling you
stronger; almost insistent
文法句型
believe me + sentence
believe you me + sentence
用法筆記
Imperative in form but functions as a discourse marker rather than a command. Usually appears at the start or end of the sentence it strengthens.
常見錯誤
5. used as an exclamation to show shock or frustration about something the speaker
used as an exclamation to show shock or frustration about something the speaker is in fact seeing or hearing — the disbelief is about how unfair, strange, or ridiculous the situation feels
I don't believe this — the printer is jammed again right before the meeting.
'I don't believe this' as frustrated exclamation about a real event
Dewi looked at the empty fridge and said, 'I just don't believe it.'
intensified form 'I just don't believe it'
I can't believe this is happening to me on my birthday of all days.
Emma stared at the bill and muttered, 'I don't believe this.'
- no way
more casual; pure shock
- you've got to be kidding
stronger; frustrated disbelief at something said or done
文法句型
I don't believe + this/it
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 — here the speaker knows the situation is real and is venting, not actually denying that it happened. Usually punctuated as an exclamation in writing.
常見錯誤
6. in the fixed phrase 'make believe', to imagine or pretend that something is real
in the fixed phrase 'make believe', to imagine or pretend that something is real, usually as part of a child's game or a playful activity
The children made believe the old wooden box was a pirate ship.
'make believe + noun phrase' in a play scenario
Nicholas and his sister made believe that the back garden was a jungle full of tigers.
'make believe + that-clause' for an imagined situation
Ari closed his eyes and made believe he was sailing across the Pacific.
Let's make believe we're astronauts on the moon for a few minutes.
文法句型
make believe + that-clause
make believe + noun
用法筆記
Only appears inside the fixed phrase 'make believe'. The bare verb 'believe' on its own does not carry the 'pretend' meaning — distinguish from sense 1 by the obligatory 'make' before it.