(~s, believing, ~d)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ that something is true, you think that it is true, but you are not sure. (FORMAL)
Experts ~ that the coming drought will be extensive...
I ~ you have something of mine...
The main problem, I ~, lies elsewhere...
We ~ them to be hidden here in this apartment...
‘You’ve never heard of him?’—‘I don’t ~ so.’
= think
VERB: V that, V that, V that, V n to-inf, V so/not , also V n adj
2.
If you ~ someone or if you ~ what they say or write, you accept that they are telling the truth.
He did not sound as if he ~d her...
Don’t ~ what you read in the papers.
VERB: V n, V n
3.
If you ~ in fairies, ghosts, or miracles, you are sure that they exist or happen. If you ~ in a god, you are sure of the existence of that god.
I don’t ~ in ghosts...
Do you ~ in magic?
VERB: V in n, V in n, also V
4.
If you ~ in a way of life or an idea, you are in favour of it because you think it is good or right.
He ~d in marital fidelity.
VERB: V in n
5.
If you ~ in someone or what they are doing, you have confidence in them and think that they will be successful.
If you ~ in yourself you can succeed.
VERB: V in n
6.
Believe is used in expressions such as I can’t ~ how or it’s hard to ~ that in order to express surprise, for example because something bad has happened or something very difficult has been achieved.
Many officers I spoke to found it hard to ~ what was happening around them...
VERB: with brd-neg, V wh, also V that feelings
7.
You can use ~ it or not to emphasize that what you have just said is surprising.
That’s normal, ~ it or not.
PHRASE: PHR with cl emphasis
8.
If you say would you ~ it, you are emphasizing your surprise about something.
And would you ~ it, he’s younger than me!
PHRASE: PHR with cl emphasis
9.
You can use ~ you me to emphasize that what you are saying is true.
It’s absolutely amazing, ~ you me.
PHRASE: PHR with cl emphasis