American English

How to pronounce believed

verbB1Very common word

bihLEEVD

/bɪˈlivd̚/

2 syllables · Stress the second syllable.

Believed can be the past form or past participle of believe; it appears after have in perfect constructions and after be in passive constructions.

Thought that something was true or that someone was telling the truth.

Meanings & examples

past and past participle verb

Thought that something was true or that someone was telling the truth.

I believed her story.

The witness was believed by the jury.

past and past participle verb

Had faith in a god, religion, or spiritual idea, or thought that something existed.

Many people believed in God.

Their ancestors had believed in an afterlife.

past and past participle verb

Felt sure that a person could succeed, or that an idea or plan was good and worth supporting.

She believed in her son even after he failed.

They had believed in the project from the start.

used to say that something surprising is true

Believe it or not, I have never seen snow.

used to ask someone to trust what you are saying

Believe me, the job gets easier.

used to show that you are very surprised

I can't believe it—we won!

Before -ing, drop the final e: believing, not believeing.