behest

CEFRC2

/bɪˈhɛst/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    an authoritative command or request.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A vow; a promise.

Examples

  • He testified that the wire-tapping was carried out at the behest of his superiors.

  • Tom says he did it at John's behest.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5

Also pronounced

  • /biˈhest/
  • /biˈhɛst/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. To promise; vow.

  2. A command, bidding; sometimes also, an authoritative request; now usually in the phrase at the behest of and at one's behest.

More examples

In context

  • c. 1440, Markaryte Paston, letter to John Paston The time is come that I should send it her, if I keep the behest that I have made.

  • Moſt great and puiſant Monarke of the earth, Your Baſſoe wil accompliſh your beheſt: […]

  • to do his master's high behest

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

At the king's blank, the soldiers marched into battle without hesitation.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English biheste, from Old English behǣs (“vow, promise”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihaisi, from *bi- (“be-”) + *haisi (“command”), from Proto-Germanic *haisiz, from *haitaną (“to command”). Final -t by analogy with other similar words in -t. Related to Old English behātan (“to command, promise”), Middle Low German beheit, behēt (“a promise”). Compare also hest (“command”), hight.