1 a : to do the first part of an action : to start doing something [+ obj] ▪ They will begin construction on the new school soon. ▪ I got the job and I begin work on Monday! ▪ She'll begin the lecture at 10. ▪ He plans to begin the project later this week. ▪ They both began their careers at the local newspaper. ▪ The university began accepting applications in November. ▪ I had just begun eating when the phone rang. ▪ She interrupted as soon as I began to speak. [no obj] ▪ He began by showing some photographs of his trip. = He began with some photographs of his trip. ▪ Now that I've begun, I'll go on till I finish. ▪ You'll have to begin again. [=start over]
b [+ obj] : to start to work on, produce, or give attention to (something)
▪ I began the quilt last month. ▪ I began (reading) the book last week. ▪ Schubert began more symphonies than he finished.
c [+ obj] : to cause (something) to start
▪ The chairman began the meeting at noon. ▪ They began [=founded] the state's first traveling theater troupe.
d [+ obj] : to start to have a feeling, thought, etc. — usually followed by to + verb ▪ She began to feel dizzy soon after the accident. ▪ I'm beginning to think the oversight was intentional. — sometimes + -ing verb ▪ She began feeling dizzy soon after the accident. 2 : to start to happen, to exist, to be done, etc. [no obj] ▪ The meeting began [=started] in the morning and finished/ended at noon. ▪ Construction on the new school will begin soon. ▪ Our problems were just beginning. ▪ When does the play begin? ▪ The rain began around noon. ▪ Let the games begin. ▪ The American Civil War began in 1861 and ended in 1865. ▪ His passion for music began at the age of six when he had his first piano lessons. [+ obj] — followed by to + verb ▪ It's beginning [=starting] to rain. ▪ The flowers on the trees are beginning to bloom. 3 [no obj] a : to have a particular starting point : to start at a specified place or in a specified way
▪ “Where does the river begin?” “It begins in the mountains to the north.” ▪ The meeting began on a positive note. ▪ The meeting began with an announcement. [=an announcement was made at the start of the meeting] ▪ The English alphabet begins with A and ends with Z. ▪ Each sentence should begin with a capital. ▪ The season began with our team in last place but finished (up) with us in first place. ▪ Her long career in advertising began at a small firm in Chicago. ▪ Prices for the hotel rooms begin at 85 dollars. [=85 dollars is the lowest price for a hotel room; some rooms cost more than 85 dollars] ▪ The road begins at the bottom of the hill and ends at the top of the hill.
b : to have a specified quality, identity, job, etc., at the start — + as ▪ What began [=started] as a simple idea has become a complicated project. ▪ The town began as a small farming community. ▪ He began as a clerk [=he was a clerk when he started working] and eventually became president of the company. 4 [+ obj] : to start speaking by saying (something)
▪ “Allow me to introduce myself,” he began. 5 — used in an exaggerated way to say that something is not possible ▪ I can't even begin to describe how good the food was. [=the food was very good] ▪ I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for all your help. [=I am very grateful for all your help] ▪ I can hardly begin to thank you for all you've done.