Prefix BE- 21 Examples (Free PDF Download and Video)

I was teaching a private English student recently and I introduced the verb BEFRIEND. This started a closer look at how we use the prefix be- in English words. That lesson inspired this blog post, and I hope this blog will help you take your English to the next level. 

Because
Become
Bedazzle
Bedevil
Befall
Before
Beforehand
Befriend
Befuddled 
Bejeweled
Belated
Belie
Belittle
Beloved
Below
Bemoan
Berate 
Beset
Besieged
Bespattered
Bewildered

This post includes lots of prefix BE- words used in real example sentences. Plus, a video for extra review and a free PDF download so you can review this lesson anytime, anywhere.

Prefix BE- Meaning

The prefix be- is used in verbs to make or treat somebody/something as

  • An unfortunate event befell the small mountain village.
  • Curtis quickly befriended everyone in his class.

The prefix be- is used in adjectives ending in -ed to mean wearing or covered with

  • The prince raised his bejeweled hand to start the tournament.
  • Kyle’s pants were bespattered with mud from the rain.

The prefix be- is used in verbs and adjectives ending in -ed to mean to cause something to be

  • As soon as the actor stepped off the plane he was besieged by dozens of reporters asking questions about his private life. 

The prefix be- is ​used to turn intransitive verbs (= without an object) into transitive verbs (= with an object)

  • He bemoaned his lack of success.

 be- prefix Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com

Prefix BE- Origin

From Middle English be-, bi-, from Old English be- (“be-”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- (“be-”), from Proto-Germanic *bi (“near, by”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“at, near”). See by.

SOURCE

I have been teaching, researching, and writing about English suffixes and prefixes for a long time. All my posts are made to help English students increase their vocabulary in a way that is simple and fun.

Prefix BE- Examples and Sentences 

There are many English words that start with the letters BE, but the list of words I chose for this post is made of common English words plus the prefix BE-. Adding prefixes to words you already know is a great way to quickly increase your English vocabulary. If I missed any common words with the prefix BE- please tell me in the comments.

For the reason I mentioned above, I didn’t include words like bereaved or besmirch in my list.

COMMON BE WORDS (you probably already know)

Because conjunction – for the reason that

  • I took my umbrella because it was raining. 

Becomelinking verb to start to be something

  • When did you first become aware of the problem?

Before conjunction/adverb/preposition – earlier

  • Jennifer got here just before me. 

Behave verb – to do things in a particular way

  • I’m going to the store now, you kids behave while I’m gone.

Below adverb/preposition – at or to a lower level

  • The school dress code says that all skirts must fall below the knee. Short skirts are not allowed on campus. 

The Prefix BE- VERBS

Bedazzle – verb – to impress somebody very much with intelligence, beauty, etc.

  • The young singer’s powerful voice and magnetic stage presence bedazzled the judges on the talent show.

Bedazzled is the title of a comedy from the year 2000. (I love this movie!) You can learn more about it on The Internet Movie Database. Bedazzled (2000) – IMDb

Prefix BE- Example - The young singer's powerful voice and stage presence bedazzled the judges on the talent show.

Bedevil – verb – to cause a lot of problems for somebody/something over a long period of time

  • Thoughts of the upcoming exam bedeviled Vanessa, causing her to lose sleep at night.

Bedevilled is the name of a Korean Drama/Horror movie from 2010. It has a rating of 7.3 out of 10 on Internet Movie Database. Bedevilled (2010) – IMDb 

Befall – verb – (of something unpleasant) to happen to somebody [used only in the third person]

  • An unfortunate event befell the small mountain village.

Befriend – verb – to become a friend of somebody, especially somebody who needs your help

  •  Curtis adjusted to his new school in no time and he quickly befriended everyone in his class.
Prefix BE- Example - Curtis adjusted to his new school in no time and he quickly befriended everyone in his class.

Belie – verb

1) to give a false impression of somebody/something

  • His actions belie his words.

2) to show that something cannot be true or correct

  • The mayor’s claim that homelessness is not an issue in the city is belied by the growing number of people living on the streets.

Belittle – verb –  to make somebody, or the things that somebody does, seem unimportant

  •  I work very hard with this company but I feel like my boss always belittles my contributions. 
Prefix BE- Example - I work very hard with this company but I feel like my boss always belittles my contributions. 

Bemoan – verb – to complain or say that you are not happy about something

  • He bemoaned his lack of success.

Berate – to criticize or speak angrily to somebody because you do not approve of something they have done

  • After the game, the coach berated us for our lazy performance. 

Beset – verb – to affect somebody/something in an unpleasant or harmful way

  • Many obstacles on the journey beset the traveler. In spite of this, he never gave up.

Besiege – This verb comes from the noun siege which is a military operation in which an army tries to capture a town by surrounding it and stopping the supply of food, etc. to the people inside.

Verb meaning 1) to surround a building, city, etc. with soldiers until the people inside are forced to let you in

  • The enemy army tried to besiege the castle, but its strong walls held up against the attack.

2) to surround somebody/something in large numbers

Prefix BE- Example - The enemy army tried to besiege the castle, but its strong walls held up against the attack.
  • As soon as the actor stepped off the plane he was besieged by dozens of reporters asking questions about his private life. 

3)  to send so many letters, ask so many questions, etc. that it is difficult for somebody to deal with them all

  • After the controversial program aired, the TV station was besieged with angry letters from viewers. 

Bespatter – verb – to cover something with small drops of water or other liquid, usually by accident

  • Kyle’s pants were bespattered with mud from the rain.

Bewilder – verb – to confuse somebody

  • The tourists were bewildered by the strange customs of the locals.

The Prefix BE- ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

Beforehand – adverb – earlier; before something else happens or is done

  • It came as quite a shock to everyone. I wish we had known about it beforehand, then we could have prepared better. 

Befuddled – adjective – ​confused and unable to think normally *This is made by adding the prefix BE- to the adjective fuddled. (It’s rare to me.)

  • The maze of streets in the unfamiliar city befuddled the tourist, who found it difficult to find his way.

Bejeweled – adjective – decorated with precious stones; wearing jewelry

  • The prince raised his bejeweled hand to start the tournament. 
Prefix BE- Example - The prince raised his bejeweled hand to start the tournament. 

Belated – adjective – coming or happening late

  • The company issued a belated apology for the mistake in their advertising campaign.

Beloved – adjective – loved very much 

  • Adam’s beloved pet dog passed away on Saturday. Let’s go over to his house to cheer him up.

Beloved is the title of a popular drama from the year 1998. You can learn more about it on The Internet Movie Database. Beloved (1998) – IMDb

One of the stars of the movie is named Thandiwe Newton. Thandiwe is an African word that means “beloved.”

Bewildered – adjective – confused

  • The tourists were bewildered by the strange customs of the locals.

Bewildering – adjective – making you feel confused because there are too many things to choose from or because something is difficult to understand

  • I went to a giant Sweets Shop in the city. There is a bewildering variety of candy to choose from.

Printable Prefix BE- PDF e-guide

Download your printable PDF E-guide below. (It’s FREE!) PDFs contain the live links from the post.

Check out these other helpful PREFIX and SUFFIX blog posts.

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