Meaning & use

behold

verb·Advanced

To see or look at something, especially something impressive or remarkable, typically in formal or literary language.

See it in a sentence

Visitors stopped to behold the breathtaking view from the mountain summit.

Behold, said the guide, gesturing toward the ancient ruins ahead.

A note on using this word

Behold is archaic or literary and rarely used in ordinary modern conversation, though it survives in dramatic or humorous exclamations.

Words with a similar meaning

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