Basic Details
Word: Behold
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To see or look at something, especially something special or impressive. It is an old-fashioned word found in stories and poems.
Synonyms: see, observe, view, witness
How to Spell Behold
Syllables: be - hold
Tricky part: It is simply be plus hold. Students sometimes write bi at the start or add a u because of the word should.
Watch out for: bihold, behould, beholde
Memory tip: Imagine someone saying: be still and hold your eyes on this. Be + hold, nothing added.
Idioms and Phrases
- a sight to behold: something very impressive or beautiful to look at Example: "The lit-up houses on Diwali night were a sight to behold."
Usage Examples
Example 1: "Behold!" cried the magician, as a white rabbit appeared from his empty hat.
Example 2: From the top of the hill, the travellers could behold the whole valley below.
Example 3: The old poem tells of a king who beheld a golden bird in his garden.
Fun Fact
The past tense of behold is beheld, just as the past of hold is held. Someone who beholds something is called a beholder, as in the saying Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Practise the CREST Way
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
dhoelb
a) behold
b) behalf
c) bold
d) beheld
Show answer
a) behold. Behalf needs an a and an f, beheld swaps the o for a second e, and bold is two letters short.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word: behold
a) forget
b) ignore
c) conceal
d) observe
Show answer
d) observe. To observe is to look at something carefully, which is what behold means.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) mischief
b) squadron
c) cowardice
d) bihold
Show answer
d) bihold. The prefix here is be, the same as in become and before.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In which sentence is behold used correctly?
a) Please behold my bag while I tie my shoe.
b) The baby beholds a cold and stays home.
c) She beholds the ball and kicks it hard.
d) We climbed the tower to behold the sunrise over the sea.
Show answer
d) We climbed the tower to behold the sunrise over the sea.
2. Where are you most likely to read the word behold?
a) on a shopping list
b) in an old story or poem
c) on a bus ticket
d) in a maths formula
Show answer
b) in an old story or poem
