First Known Use: 12th century
Dictionary
behest
noun be·hest \bi-ˈhest, bē-\
Definition of BEHEST
1
: an authoritative order : command
2
: an urgent prompting <called at the behest of my friends>
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Origin of BEHEST
Middle English, promise, command, from Old English behǣs promise, from behātan to promise, from be- + hātan to command, promise — more at hight
Related to BEHEST
- Synonyms
- command, charge, commandment, decree, dictate, direction, directive, do, edict, imperative, injunction, instruction, order, word
Rhymes with BEHEST
abreast, abscessed, appressed, armrest, arrest, at best, at rest, attest, backrest, beau geste, bed rest, bequest, blood test, congest, conquest, contest, crow's nest, depressed, detest, devest, digest, distressed, divest, egest, eighth rest, field-test, flight-test, footrest, gabfest, half rest, hard-pressed, headrest, high-test, hillcrest, hope chest, houseguest, imprest, incest, infest, ingest, inquest, interest, invest, Key West, lovefest, love nest, Mae West, mare's nest, Midwest, molest, northwest, patch test, posttest, pretest, professed, protest, redbreast, repressed, request, revest, road test, scratch test, screen test, sea chest, skin test, slop chest, slugfest, southwest, spot test, steam chest, stress test, suggest, Trieste, t-test, unblessed, undressed, unrest, unstressed, war chest, whole rest, Wild West
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