Definition of have in English English dictionary
- To trick, to deceive
Yeah! You had me alright! Between your threatening stance and your armed-to-the-teeth men, I never would've thought that was just a joke.
- To be related in some way to (with the object identifying the relationship)
The dog down the street has a lax owner.
- To partake of a particular substance (especially a food or drink) or action
I'm going to have some pizza and some Pepsi right now.
- To defeat in a fight; take
I could have him!.
- To cause to, by a command or request
They had me feed their dog while they were out of town.
- Used as interrogative auxiliary verb with a following pronoun to form tag questions. (For further discussion, see "Usage notes" below)
UK usage He has some money, hasn't he?.
- To be able to speak a language
I have no German.
- To feel or be (especially painfully) aware of
Dan certainly has arms today, probably from scraping paint off four columns the day before.
- must
Note: there's a separate entry for have to.
The burglar must have entered the mansion from the roof.
- The cat burglar must have entered the mansion from the roof.
I must've made a mistake.
- I must have made a mistake.
- To be afflicted with, to suffer from, to experience something negative
We had a hard year last year, with the locust swarms and all that.
- To possess, own, hold
Look what I have here — a frog I found on the street!.
- To cause to be
The lecture's ending had the entire audience in tears.
- Allow
You're a very naughty boy. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. I won't have you chasing the geese!.
- To depict as being
Their stories differed; he said he'd been at work when the incident occurred, but her statement had him at home that entire evening.
- To be affected by an occurrence. (Used in supplying a topic that is not a verb argument.)
I've had three people today tell me my hair looks nice.
- To give birth to
My wife is having the baby right now!.
- Used in forming the perfect aspect and the past perfect aspect
I had already eaten.
- To engage in sexual intercourse with
He's always bragging about how many women he's had.
- {v} to possess, enjoy, get, procure, contain
- have sex with; archaic use; "He had taken this woman when she was most vulnerable"
- receive willingly something given or offered; "The only girl who would have him was the miller's daughter"; "I won't have this dog in my house!"; "Please accept my present"
- to aim at one or at a thing; to attack; to have with a companion
- To hold, regard, or esteem
- undergo; "The stocks had a fast run-up"
- To accept possession of; to take or accept
- have left; "I have two years left"; "I don't have any money left"; "They have two more years before they retire"
- have as a feature; "This restaurant features the most famous chefs in France"
- achieve a point or goal; "Nicklaus had a 70"; "The Brazilian team got 4 goals"; "She made 29 points that day"
- undergo (as of injuries and illnesses); "She suffered a fracture in the accident"; "He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars"; "She got a bruise on her leg"; "He got his arm broken in the scuffle"
- cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; "The ads induced me to buy a VCR"; "My children finally got me to buy a computer"; "My wife made me buy a new sofa"
- To bear, as young; as, she has just had a child
- {f} possess; contain; receive, get; take; need; cause to occur; give birth to, bear; be required to, must; endure
- Used with a following pronoun to form tag questions after statements that use "have" to form the perfect tense or (in UK usage) that use "have" in the present tense
- To put in an awkward position; to have the advantage of; as, that is where he had him
- give birth (to a newborn); "My wife had twins yesterday!"
- To cause or force to go; to take
- have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense; "She has $1,000 in the bank"; "He has got two beautiful daughters"; "She holds a Master's degree from Harvard"
- suffer from; be ill with; "She has arthritis"
- organize or be responsible for; "hold a reception"; "have, throw, or make a party"; "give a course"
- Used as interrogative auxiliary verb with a following pronoun to form tag questions. (For further discussion, see "Usage notes" below)"
- get something; come into possession of; "receive payment"; "receive a gift"; "receive letters from the front"
- To cause or procure to be; to effect; to exact; to desire; to require
- of mental or physical states or experiences; "get an idea"; "experience vertigo"; "get nauseous"; "undergo a strange sensation"; "The chemical undergoes a sudden change"; "The fluid undergoes shear"; "receive injuries"; "have a feeling"
- have a personal or business relationship with someone; "have a postdoc"; "have an assistant"; "have a lover"
- To hold in possession or control; to own; as, he has a farm
- To get possession of; to obtain; to get
- To understand
If Tom had been speaking French, I would've been able to understand him.
- If Tom had been speaking French, I would have been able to understand him.
- suffer from; be ill with; "She has arthritis" undergo; "The stocks had a fast run-up" have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense; "She has $1,000 in the bank"; "He has got two beautiful daughters"; "She holds a Master's degree from Harvard" have left; "I have two years left"; "I don't have any money left"; "They have two more years before they retire" achieve a point or goal; "Nicklaus had a 70"; "The Brazilian team got 4 goals"; "She made 29 points that day" have a personal or business relationship with someone; "have a postdoc"; "have an assistant"; "have a lover" have as a feature; "This restaurant features the most famous chefs in France" be confronted with; "What do we have here?"; "Now we have a fine mess
- serve oneself to, or consume regularly; "Have another bowl of chicken soup!"; "I don't take sugar in my coffee"
- have ownership or possession of; "He owns three houses in Florida"; "How many cars does she have?"
- To take or hold (one's self); to proceed promptly; used reflexively, often with ellipsis of the pronoun; as, to have after one; to have at one or at a thing, i
- To possess, as something which appertains to, is connected with, or affects, one
- be confronted with; "What do we have here?"; "Now we have a fine mess
- cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition; "He got his squad on the ball"; "This let me in for a big surprise"; "He got a girl into trouble"
- a person who possesses great material wealth
- be confronted with; "What do we have here?"; "Now we have a fine mess"
- To be under necessity or obligation; to be compelled; followed by an infinitive
- {i} one who has, one who belongs to a wealthy class
- ave
- hab
- have a ball
- To enjoy thoroughly; to have lots of fun or excitement
And everybody havin' a ball (Hah, ho, Yippie Yi Yo)''.
- have a bath
- To wash oneself in a bath; to bath
- have a bone in one's leg
- Used as a fatuous excuse to avoid doing something
No, I can't. I've got a bone in my leg..
- have a bone to pick
- To have a complaint or grievance with somebody
I have a bone to pick with the accountant who made that costly mistake.
- have a break
- To rest; to temporarily discontinue a specified activity
- have a bun in the oven
- To be pregnant; to be expecting a baby
Her parents were surprised to learn that she had a bun in the oven.
- have a clue
- To be knowledgeable about a topic or situation
- have a couple
- To drink enough alcohol to be slightly drunk
For even the puniest, wouldn’t know a muscle if it shook his hand at a party and said ‘Hello, I’m Mister Bicep,’ foul-mouthed, inconsiderate, insensitive, ‘isn’t a feeling what you do with your hands?’ oaf– once he's had a couple (and he is dreaming of coupling) – voila!.
- have a cow
- To get angry; have a fit
My mom had a cow when I came in late.
- have a crack at
- To attempt (something); to try to do (something)
Let me have a crack at it.
- have a few
- To drink enough alcohol to be slightly drunk
The phone at the lake house rings and rings, until my father's voice, very groggy — it's the way he sounds once he's had a few — is finally heard.
- have a fit
- To become suddenly enraged
She'll have a fit when she finds out a younger woman got the job she was hoping for.
- have a fit
- To experience an epileptic seizure
She needs to keep her sugar level low or she'll have a fit.
- have a frog in one's throat
- To feel the need to cough; to have a tickle in one's throat; to have a scratchy or uneven voice
I just woke up and I have a frog in my throat. Give me a minute.
- have a go
- To make an attempt; to try
I've never tried karate before, but I'm willing to have a go.
- have a go
- Shout at or tell off unnecessarily or excessively
My teacher had a go at me earlier, just for missing one sodding homework. I was fuming.
- have a go
- To attack or criticize
Yes, we had a go.
- have a good time
- To enjoy oneself
- have a handle on
- To be in control; to understand or grasp
To work efficiently, it's important to have a handle on the procedures involved.
- have a head for
- to be capable with, to be knowledgeable about
I can't come rock climbing because I don't have a head for heights.
- have a heart
- To be kind or sympathetic; to treat others kindly
Have a heart and be lenient with him; he's only a child.
- have a laugh
- To laugh
- have a laugh
- To joke; kid around
- have a laugh
- To enjoy oneself; have fun
- have a look
- To examine, to observe
- have a look-see
- Take a look
I’ve had a look-see at your work, and I think you’ve done a pretty good job of things.
- have a memory like a sieve
- Alternative form of have a mind like a sieve
- have a mind like a sieve
- To have a poor memory; to have difficulty remembering things
Oh, that's right. You said that yesterday, didn't you? I have a mind like a sieve.
- have a mind of one's own
- To form one's personal opinions and choose one's actions without being governed by the views or choices of others; to be independently minded; to think for oneself
Be a little audacious — disagree on at least one thing so they know you have a mind of your own.
- have a nice day
- Goodbye
- have a pair
- To be manly
Sound off like you got a pair! (drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket).
- have a quiet word
- When you get a moment I'd like to have a quiet word
- have a quiet word
- To speak to someone in private
- have a screw loose
- To be insane or irrational
I think old Mr. Jacobs has a screw loose; he keeps trying to feed his cats bird seed.
- have a seat
- A polite directive to sit down
Thanks for coming in. Please, have a seat.
- have a seat
- To sit down; to take a seat
- have a stab
- To make an attempt, a try
- have a wank
- To masturbate
- have a way with
- To be skilled, adept, or graceful in something
She has a way with animals, and they seem instinctively to trust her.
- have a whale of a time
- To enjoy oneself greatly
We had a whale of a time at the party Saturday night.
- have a word
- To speak to someone in private, often with a negative implication
She knew she was in big trouble when the teacher asked to have a word with her after class.
- have a word in someone's ear
- When you get a moment I'd like to have a word in your ear
- have a word in someone's ear
- To speak to someone in private
- have an ax to grind
- Alternative spelling of have an axe to grind
- have an axe to grind
- To have a dispute, resentment, or grudge, sometimes with a disposition to act on that resentment covertly; to have a bias; to take issue with something
He said: This guy has an axe to grind because Colonel Tim embarrassed him in front of his troops..
- have an eye for
- To have good taste; to have the ability to discriminate or identify quality
He has an eye for fine porcelain dishes and figurines.
- have another thing coming
- Alternative form of have another think coming
- have another think
- To reflect on a frustrating or disappointing event; to reframe such an event
- have another think coming
- To be deluded, to be mistaken; to need to rethink something one has determined; to need to reconsider one's plans or expectations
If you think you're going to marry my daughter, you have another think coming.
- have another thought coming
- Alternative form of have another think coming
- have ants in one's pants
- To be agitated and constantly fidgeting
- have ants in one's pants
- To be sexually excited
- have at
- To attack; to engage in combat with
The Prince of Venosa was in their midst, shouting: Have at the traitor! Kill! Kill!.
- have at you
- an exclamation indicating that one is about to strike the person addressed, typically with a sword or other hand-held weapon. E.g., "Dark and sinister man, have at thee." Barrie JM (1904), Peter Pan
- have bats in one's belfry
- To be crazy or eccentric
You would certainly take the prize for bats in the belfry!--flying off on a wild-goose chase across a country where even the geese need a compass to keep to the course.
- have been around
- To be experienced in worldly matters; to be seasoned, not naive
Williams: She has been around. She has met world leaders.
- have been around the block
- Alternative form of have been around
- have butterflies in one's stomach
- To be nervous, uncertain, or anxious
He had butterflies in his stomach the morning of his wedding.
- have egg on one's face
- To suffer embarrassment or humiliation; to damage one's reputation
I hope the bishop of Hereford comes out of this with a great deal of egg on his face. - The Obverser, 01/04/2007, Bishop blocks gay youth worker's job,.
- have eyes bigger than one's belly
- To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy
Your eyes are bigger than your belly.
- have eyes bigger than one's stomach
- To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy
Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.
- have eyes for
- To be romantically interested in
The moon maybe high but I can't see a thing in the sky, 'Cause I only have eyes for you.
- have eyes in the back of one's head
- To be particularly, especially uncannily, observant; a perceived ability to see in all directions at once
It's so busy at our office you need eyes in the back of your head to work there!.
- have fun
- Used to wish somebody a good and enjoyable time when they're about to do something
- have fun
- To enjoy oneself
- have got
- To be obliged or obligated
I've got to do my homework.
- have got
- To have, own or possess
She's got three children. One boy and two girls.
- have got someone's back
- To be prepared and willing to support or defend (someone)
- have had it up to here
- to have become very frustrated or angry; to have reached the limit of one's patience or forbearance
I have had it up to here with your nonsense!.
- have had one's Weet-Bix today
- To exhibit plenty of vitality or strength or other superior performance
- have had one's chips
- To be dead or finished
He must have had his chips, she thought, and our children will be born fatherless.
- have had one's day
- Alternative form of have seen one's day
- have in mind
- To consider, to contemplate, to intend
I had in mind buying you a present when I went to the store.
- have it
- To be beyond repair
These socks have had it - there are holes in both toes.
- have it
- To have died
He didn't survive the operation - he's had it.
- have it
- To understand or believe
Conventional wisdom has it that heat rises, but in fact heat diffuses: hot air rises.
- have it coming
- To deserve or merit, as the consequences of one's actions
Although one might baulk at giving an 83-year-old a hard time, this particular 83-year-old has it coming.
- have it going on
- To be attractive or socially successful or have an aura of success
- have it going on
- To instigate, observe, or allow an event to continue
- have it in for
- To be very angry at; to have a grudge against; to have little tolerance for
My boss must really have it in for me; that was the third lecture this week!.
- have it large
- To engage intensely in pleasure-seeking activities
On the dance floor, people are having it large: hands in the air, whooping and yelling, boogieing in a sweaty drug fueled mass.
- have it made
- To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty; to have achieved a lifestyle characterized by good fortune and comfort
It's a great idea, and if it catches on and sells well, we'll have it made.
- have it off
- to engage in sexual intercourse
- have it your way
- Do something the way you want to, but be prepared for the consequences
OK, have it your way, format the hard disk and see what happens.
- have kittens
- To become extremely upset
- have mercy
- To show mercy or compassion; to stop inflicting punishment or a barrage
The mean boss would have mercy on the marginally performing employee, except he was in a foul mood today and decided to say what he really thought of her.
- have more chins than a Chinese phone book
- To be exceedingly fat, especially under the chin (as in a "double chin")
My friend, Hank Zona, used to nod his head in someone's direction and whisper, That guy has more chins than a Chinese phone book..
- have not
- singular variant of have nots
- have nots
- The poor or underprivileged, contrasted to those who have possessions, power or wealth: the haves
- have one's cake and eat it too
- To seek to have two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use)
Do you seriously want to break up with her and still have sex with her? You can't have your cake and eat it too!.
- have one's ducks in a row
- To be organized; to have one's affairs in order; specifically, to have a multi-person effort coordinated towards the exact same goal
Wouldn't it be nice to have our ducks in a row and not have to search for the papers every time we needed them?.
- have one's ears lowered
- To get a haircut
When you need a haircut, you go to a barber, so here I am at Tommy's Bronxville's tonsorial prepared to get clipped. Or, as we said as kids, have my ears lowered.
- have one's feet on the ground
- To be a practical person. To be sensible
We think we can trust John with this new position as he has his feet on the ground.
- have one's fingers in many pies
- to be involved in many different things
- have one's hand out
- To be requesting benefits, especially if not entitled to them
Whenever there was an appropriations bill, he always had his hand out for his guys.
- have one's hands full
- To be busy or thoroughly preoccupied
He already has his hands full with two kids and a full-time job, yet he still makes time to volunteer.
- have one's hands tied
- to be powerless to act, to be thwarted
I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. My hands are tied.
- have one's head in the clouds
- To daydream; to think about matters other than the present reality
He sat there with his head in the clouds all day, when he should have been minding the store.
- have one's head in the clouds
- To have fantastic or impractical dreams; to think impractically
He has his head in the clouds when it comes to finances, with no idea how much that lifestyle will cost.
- have one's heart set on
- to want or desire deeply, regardless of practicality or rationality
He should buy a truck for his job, but he has his heart set on a sports car.
- have one's name on it
- To be reserved for someone
That new bartender has got my name all over her, hands off!.
- have one's number on it
- Te be destined for someone
I'll catch that fish. It has my number on it.
- have one's way
- to obtain the circumstances one wishes for; to do what one wishes to do, or to have others do what one wishes them to do
He held out to me a bowl of steaming broth, that filled the room with a savour sweeter, ten thousand times, to me than every rose and lily of the world; yet would not let me drink it at a gulp, but made me sip it with a spoon like any baby. Thus while I drank, he told me where I was, namely, in an attic at the Why Not?, but would not say more then, bidding me get to sleep again, and I should know all afterwards. And so it was ten days or more before youth and health had their way, and I was strong again; and all that time Elzevir Block sat by my bed, and nursed me tenderly as a woman. So piece by piece I learned the story of how they found me.
- have one's way
- to make love with someone
- have one's way with
- To engage in sexual intercourse with
- have one's wicked way
- To have sexual intercourse
- have one's wits about one
- To remain calm, composed, or aware
It is important for emergency responders to have their wits about them at all times.
- have one's work cut out for one
- To face a large task or project
If he plans to translate all the idioms, he has his work cut out for him.
- have other fish to fry
- To have more important things to do
No, for certain. I have other fish to fry here..
- have second thoughts
- To change one's opinion, or be uneasy about a previous decision
At first it seemed a good idea, but now it's getting close I'm having second thoughts.
- have seen better days
- To be in poor condition, to be worn-out
Your sofa has certainly seen better days, isn't it time you got a new one?.
- have seen one's day
- To be at the point in a life cycle or career of no longer being useful or effective; to be worn-out
Written off by most observers as a champion who had seen his day, the Sampras who stalked the courts as world number one for six straight years in the 1990s rose from the ashes to add to his lustre with a record-setting 14th Grand Slam title.
- have sex
- To take part in a sexual act
- have someone by the short hairs
- To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled
The Saudis know that as long as we consume 7 billion barrels per year (4 billion of them imported from abroad), they have us by the short hairs.
- have someone's back
- To be prepared and willing to support or defend (someone)
- have someone's guts for garters
- To reprimand severely
If you go out and play and get your clothes dirty, I'll have your guts for garters!.
- have someone's hide
- To punish or subdue someone
Why doesn't The St. Petersburg Times scrape together $30 million and purchase football's Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Then, when I tell John McKay how to coach, he'd listen or I'd have his hide.
- have someone's number
- To understand a person's character, capabilities, or situation
Llodra, a doubles specialist who is ranked 38 in singles, was charging to the net at every opportunity and played some brilliant shots but Murray seemed to have his number at that stage.
- have something to eat
- To eat anything
- have the biscuit
- To be of no further use; to be near death
- have the blues
- To be depressed, to have a low morale
I've had the blues ever since my sweetheart left.
- have the floor
- To have permission or time to speak, especially in a formal situation
The representative from New Hampshire has the floor.
- have the hots for
- to be attracted to somebody (sexually or romantically)
I think Donnie has the hots for Lisa.
- have the run of
- To have permission or freedom to move around throughout an area or to use something at will
The dog usually has the run of the house and yard, so he was perplexed when we tied him up in back during the party.
- have the time
- To be available, to have nothing more important to do
I can't do it yet, I don't have the time.
- have the time
- To know the current time, or be able to consult a device which does
Hey, do you have the time? I think I'm late for work.
- have the time of one's life
- To enjoy oneself more than ever before
- have the time of one's life
- To enjoy oneself immensely
- have the wind up
- To be frightened or disturbed
- have the wolf by the ear
- To be in a sticky situation – a dangerous situation from which one cannot disengage, but in which one cannot safely remain
- have tickets on oneself
- To be conceited
Our nickname for him was Tickets, because he had tickets on himself, Mr Thompson said. He was a good sportsman, but he also loved to tell us how good he was..
- have to
- Must (logical conclusion)
It has to be an electrical fault.
- have to
- Must; need to; to be required to. Indicates obligation
You have to wear a seat belt.
- have to do with the price of fish
- have to do with the price of tea in China
- have truck with
- to have dealings with; to truck with
I've had no truck with them for some time.
- have up
- To accuse, arrest, try for a criminal act
If Richard Dawkins had his way, a fair number of you and, as it happens, me, would be had up for child abuse. According to him, that's what religious indoctrination of children by their parents is.
- have words
- To speak sternly, angrily, or in an argumentative manner to
This man is highly irresponsible, a spokeswoman tells the Post. We definitely want to have words with him..
- have words
- To argue, to have an argument
That sort don't have words, Ellen. They just sit and goggle..
- have-a-go hero
- An ordinary member of the public who intervenes, often at personal risk, to stop a troublemaker, hooligan or ne'er-do-well in the act of committing a crime
- have-not
- singular variant of have nots
- have-nots
- Alternative spelling of have nots
- have a lot on one's mind
- (Ev ile ilgili) Have many things to worry about; to be preoccupied
- have big shoes to fill
- (Ev ile ilgili) Have to meet high expectations about something that came before
- have got
- there is, there are, there exists
- have got
- have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense; "She has $1,000 in the bank"; "He has got two beautiful daughters"; "She holds a Master's degree from Harvard"
- have had enough
- exasperated, out of patience, sick and tired, fed up
- have a bat
- (Ev ile ilgili) Engage in the act of masturbation
- have a ring to it
- (Ev ile ilgili) (never in continuous tenses) If a word or idea has a ring to it, it sounds interesting or attractive
- have a trick up one's sleeve
- (Ev ile ilgili) Hide something from someone, have a fall-back plan
- have one's cake and have it
- (deyim) To wish to have one's cake and eat it too or simply have one's cake and eat it (sometimes eat one's cake and have it too) is to want more than one can handle or deserve, or to try to have two incompatible things. This is a popular English idiomatic proverb, or figure of speech
- have one's cake and have it too
- (deyim) To wish to have one's cake and eat it too or simply have one's cake and eat it (sometimes eat one's cake and have it too) is to want more than one can handle or deserve, or to try to have two incompatible things. This is a popular English idiomatic proverb, or figure of speech
- better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
- Having experience of love, even if it ended, is better than having no experience of love
- better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
- Love is worthwhile despite the pain involved in separation
- hast
- Second-person singular simple present form of have
Thou hast gone from me.
- hath
- Third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
Thirty days hath September.
- haves
- Third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
- had
- If you have been had, someone has tricked you, for example by selling you something at too high a price. If your customer thinks he's been had, you have to make him happy
- had
- If you say that you have had it, you mean that you are very tired of something or very annoyed about it, and do not want to continue doing it or it to continue happening. I've had it. Let's call it a day. Past tense and past participle of have. the past tense and past participle of have
- had
- Had is sometimes used instead of `if' to begin a clause which refers to a situation that might have happened but did not. For example, the clause `had he been elected' means the same as `if he had been elected'. Had he succeeded, he would have acquired a monopoly Had I known what the problem was, we could have addressed it
- have a break
- (deyim) Take a breather, take a break, stop over, stop off, have a slack
