believe (believes 3rd person present) (believing present participle) (believed past tense & past participle )
1 verb If you believe that something is true, you think that it is true, but you are not sure.
FORMAL
(=think)
Experts believe that the coming drought will be extensive... V that
I believe you have something of mine... V that
The main problem, I believe, lies elsewhere... V that
We believe them to be hidden here in this apartment... V n to-inf
`You've never heard of him?'—`I don't believe so.' V so/not, Also V n adj
2 verb If you believe someone or if you believe what they say or write, you accept that they are telling the truth.
He did not sound as if he believed her... V n
Don't believe what you read in the papers. V n
3 verb If you believein fairies, ghosts, or miracles, you are sure that they exist or happen. If you believein a god, you are sure of the existence of that god.
I don't believe in ghosts... V in n
Do you believe in magic? V in n, Also V
4 verb If you believe in a way of life or an idea, you are in favour of it because you think it is good or right.
He believed in marital fidelity. V in n
5 verb If you believe in someone or what they are doing, you have confidence in them and think that they will be successful.
If you believe in yourself you can succeed. V in n
6 verb Believe is used in expressions such as I can't believe how or it's hard to believe that in order to express surprise, for example because something bad has happened or something very difficult has been achieved.
with brd-neg (feelings)
Many officers I spoke to found it hard to believe what was happening around them... V wh, Also V that
7 You can use believe it or not to emphasize that what you have just said is surprising.
believe it or not phrase PHR with cl (emphasis)
That's normal, believe it or not.
8 If you say would you believe it, you are emphasizing your surprise about something.
would you believe it phrase PHR with cl (emphasis)
And would you believe it, he's younger than me!
9 You can use believe you me to emphasize that what you are saying is true.
believe you me phrase PHR with cl (emphasis)
It's absolutely amazing, believe you me.
make-believe
1 n-uncount If someone is living in a make-believe world, they are pretending that things are better, different, or more exciting than they really are instead of facing up to reality., (disapproval)
...the glamorous make-believe world of show business...
2 n-uncount You use make-believe to refer to the activity involved when a child plays a game in which they pretend something, for example that they are someone else.
She used to play games of make-believe with her elder sister., ...his make-believe playmate.
3 adj You use make-believe to describe things, for example in a play or film, that imitate or copy something real, but which are not what they appear to be.
The violence in those films was too unreal, it was make-believe...
