1
general::
verb ADV. impeccably, perfectly, well | aggressively, badly, disgracefully, outrageously Children who behave badly are rejecting adult values. | appropriately, correctly, properly, responsibly The enquiry investigated whether officers had behaved correctly. | improperly, irresponsibly | rationally, reasonably | stupidly, unreasonably | normally | oddly, out of character, strangely, suspiciously | accordingly Children, if they are used to being treated with respect, will behave accordingly. | naturally the freedom to behave naturally PREP. as if/though He behaved as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. | like Stop behaving like a three-year-old! | towards He had always behaved in a friendly manner towards us.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
2
general::
behave
to do and say things that are good, bad, normal, strange etc:
• His teacher said he’d been behaving badly at school. • I’m not going to talk to her until she starts behaving reasonably. • Oh, be quiet! You’re behaving like a two-year-old.
act
to behave in a particular way, especially in a way that seems unusual, surprising, or annoying to other people:
• Tina’s been acting very strangely lately. • What makes grown people act like that?
treat
to behave towards someone or deal with someone in a particular way:
• She said that he’d treated her really badly throughout their two-year marriage. • I’m sick of my parents treating me like a child.
conform
to behave in the way that most other people in your group or society behave:
• Young people sometimes want to rebel and therefore they refuse to conform. • Society typically brings pressure on individuals and groups to conform to civilised norms.
conduct yourself
formal to behave in a particular way, especially in a situation where people will notice and judge the way you behave:
• Public figures have a duty to conduct themselves responsibly, even in their private lives. • By the end of the course, you should be able to conduct yourself with confidence in any meeting.
Longman-Thesaurus