beef
gb/bˈif/ us/bˈif/
A2
English
~ 5600
marhahús, baj, kifogás, nyavalyog, panaszkodik, izom, izomtömeg, balhé, viszály, húsmarha
NOUN
A2
1
marhahús
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] eats [beef]
We had grilled beef with vegetables for dinner.
Vacsorára grillezett marhahúst ettünk zöldségekkel.
The price of beef has gone up this year.
Idén felment a marhahús ára.
She doesn’t eat beef for religious reasons.
This restaurant is famous for its beef stew.
He ordered a beef burger and fries.
Learner examples
I like to eat beef on the weekend.
Szeretek hétvégén marhahúst enni.
My father is cooking beef for lunch.
Apám marhahúst készít ebédre.
They do not sell beef in that shop.
She made a soup with beef and potatoes.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the slang meaning of 'beef' as a complaint or conflict. In food contexts, 'beef' almost always means meat from a cow.
Meaning
meat from cows
Collocations
ground beef
|roast beef
|beef stew
|beef burger
|beef cattle
|beef industry
Synonyms
meat (A general word for animal flesh used as food, not only from cows.)
Antonyms
vegetarian food (Food that does not contain meat, the opposite of beef-based dishes.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|animals
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
Meat from a cow that people eat.
The flesh of cattle, used as food.
NOUN
B1
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
have a beef with [someone/something]
If you’ve got a beef with me, just say it.
Ha valami bajod van velem, csak mondd meg.
My only beef with this phone is the short battery life.
Az egyetlen bajom ezzel a telefonnal az, hogy hamar lemerül az akkumulátora.
What’s your beef with the new manager?
She still has a beef about the way they treated her.
We talked it through and settled our beef.
Learner examples
Do you have a beef with your boss?
Van valami bajod a főnököddel?
My beef with this class is the homework; it is too long.
Ezzel az órával az a bajom, hogy túl hosszú a házi feladat.
He has no beef with you; he is just tired.
Her main beef is that the trains are always late.
Common mistake:
Learners may think of food when they hear 'beef' and miss the figurative meaning. In expressions like 'have a beef with' or 'what's your beef?', it means 'complaint', not meat.
Meaning
complaint or grievance
Collocations
have a beef with
|my main beef
|serious beef
|personal beef
|long-standing beef
|settle our beef
Synonyms
grievance (More formal and often used about official or serious complaints.)
Antonyms
satisfaction (Describes feeling pleased instead of having a complaint.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|conflict
|relationships
Definition
A problem or complaint that you have about someone or something.
An issue or complaint that someone has about a person, action, or situation.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
3
nyavalyog
B2
panaszkodik
B1
Usage pattern:
beef about [something]
He’s always beefing about his low salary.
Mindig az alacsony fizetése miatt nyavalyog.
Stop beefing and do something about it.
Ne nyavalyogj, inkább tegyél valamit ellene.
They went online to beef about the poor service.
She beefed to HR about the new policy.
The fans are still beefing about the ticket prices.
Learner examples
My friend always beefs about his job.
A barátom mindig a munkája miatt nyavalyog.
People beef online when they are unhappy with a product.
Az emberek az interneten panaszkodnak, ha elégedetlenek egy termékkel.
He beefed about the long line at the bank.
She is beefing again about the noise upstairs.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes try to use 'beef' as a verb in formal writing. This verb is informal and is better in speech or casual text.
Meaning
complain in an annoyed way
Collocations
constantly beef
|beef about everything
|always beefing
|beef online
|beef on social media
|beef to management
Synonyms
whine (Sounds more critical and can suggest childish or high-pitched complaining.)
Antonyms
accept (To agree to something without complaining.)
Themes
communication
|emotions
|relationships
Definition
To say again and again that you are unhappy about something.
To complain, especially in an annoyed or repetitive way.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
[someone] has (the) beef
He’s put on some serious beef at the gym.
Rendesen izmot pakolt magára a konditeremben.
The team needs more beef on the defensive line.
A csapat védősorába több izom kell.
They hired extra beef to move the heavy equipment.
The new engine gives the truck a lot more beef.
You can really see the beef in his shoulders.
Learner examples
He goes to the gym to get more beef.
Azért jár konditerembe, hogy több izmot szedjen fel.
The guards have a lot of beef; they are very strong.
Az őrökön sok izom van; nagyon erősek.
This small car has no beef; it is not very powerful.
They need more beef to lift that big box.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the food meaning. When it describes people’s bodies or strength, it is informal and does not mean meat.
Meaning
physical size or muscular strength
Collocations
add some beef
|more beef
|all beef
|extra beef
|beef and muscle
|put some beef on
Synonyms
muscle (Neutral, more common word for physical strength or the actual body part.)
Antonyms
weakness (Lack of physical strength, the opposite of having a lot of beef.)
Themes
body
|sports
|appearance
|health
Definition
Big, strong muscles and physical power.
Muscular size and physical strength, especially when someone has large, strong-looking muscles.
NOUN
B2
SLANG
5
Usage pattern:
[someone] has beef with [someone]
The two rappers have had beef for years.
A két rapper között évek óta megy a balhé.
Nobody wants street beef spilling into the club.
Senki sem akarja, hogy az utcai balhé a klubba is begyűrűzzön.
They finally squashed the beef after a long meeting.
There’s some serious beef between those two families.
He went on live to talk about the beef with his former partner.
Learner examples
The two singers have beef and do not talk.
A két énekes között balhé van, és nem beszélnek egymással.
He does not want any beef with his neighbors.
Nem akar balhét a szomszédaival.
They had beef in the past, but now they are friends.
There is online beef between the two groups.
Common mistake:
Learners may mix this slang sense with the milder 'complaint' meaning. In youth and hip-hop contexts, 'beef' usually means a serious conflict, not just a small problem.
Meaning
serious conflict or feud
Collocations
rap beef
|street beef
|online beef
|start beef
|squash the beef
|deep beef
Synonyms
feud (Suggests a long, often bitter conflict, not limited to slang or youth culture.)
Antonyms
peace (A state without conflict, the opposite of having beef.)
Themes
conflict
|crime
|relationships
|communication
Definition
A serious and sometimes long fight or problem between people or groups.
A strong, often ongoing conflict or hostility between people or groups.
NOUN
B2
6
húsmarha
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] raises beef
The region is known for high-quality beef cattle.
A régió a kiváló minőségű húsmarháiról ismert.
He runs a small beef operation in the valley.
Egy kis húsmarhatartó gazdaságot vezet a völgyben.
Global demand for beef has affected local farmers.
They decided to switch from dairy to beef production.
Beef prices rose after a disease hit several herds.
Learner examples
His family keeps beef on their farm.
A családja húsmarhát tart a gazdaságukban.
Many farmers in this area raise beef.
Ezen a környéken sok gazda tenyészt húsmarhát.
The country exports a lot of beef to other nations.
They changed from dairy cows to beef cows.
Common mistake:
Learners often assume 'beef' always means meat on the plate. In farming and business news, it can mean the animals raised for meat.
Meaning
cattle raised for meat
Collocations
beef cattle
|beef herd
|beef producer
|beef farm
|beef industry
|beef prices
Synonyms
cattle (A general term for cows and related animals, not only those raised for meat.)
Antonyms
dairy cattle (Cattle raised for milk rather than meat.)
Themes
agriculture
|business
|food
|animals
|food_drink
Definition
Cows and similar animals that farmers keep to make beef meat.
Cattle that are bred and raised mainly to produce meat.
Grammar
Dictionary form
beef
IPA
GB/bˈif/
US/bˈif/
Syllables & stress
beef (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (beef)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: beef
- Plural: beef, beefs, beeves
Verb
- Base: beef
- 3rd Person Singular: beefs
- Present Participle: beefing
- Past: beefed
Word family
Forms
beefs
noun
beeves
noun
beefing
verb
beefed
verb
Core family
beefy
adjective
Related words
beefburger
noun
Expressions
beef about
1/bˈif əbˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
complain about something
To complain in an annoyed way about something.
Examples
- He’s always beefing about the noise next door.
- People often beef about the trains being late.
beef up
1/bˈif ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
make stronger or more effective
To make something stronger, bigger, or more effective.
Examples
- They beefed up security after the break-in.
- The company is beefing up its marketing team this year.
- You should beef up your résumé before applying.
have a beef with
1/hˈæv ə bˈif wˈɪθ/
idiom
informal
have a complaint about
To have a problem or complaint about a person or thing.
Examples
- If you have a beef with the service, talk to the manager.
- She has a beef with the way the company treats its staff.
- I don’t have a beef with you; I just disagree.
no beef
1/nˈoʊ bˈif/
idiom
slang
no conflict or problem
Used to say there is no problem or conflict with someone.
Examples
- We’ve got no beef; everything’s cool between us.
- He said there was no beef and that it was all a misunderstanding.
squash the beef
1/skwˈɑʃ ðə bˈif/
idiom
slang
end a conflict or feud
To end a serious argument or conflict and make peace.
Examples
- The two artists met in private to squash the beef.
- They finally squashed the beef and shook hands on stage.
squash the beef
1/skwˈɑʃ ðə bˈif/
idiom
slang
settle a conflict
To stop fighting and make peace.
Examples
- They finally met up to squash the beef after months of arguing.
- If you want to squash the beef, just apologize and move on.
- He called her to squash the beef before the event.
what's your beef?
1/wˈʌts jˈʊɹ bˈif ‖/
idiom
informal
ask what someone’s problem is
Used to ask someone why they are angry or unhappy, or what their complaint is.
Examples
- What’s your beef? I was only trying to help.
- He walked in looking angry, so I asked, “What’s your beef?”
where's the beef?
1/wˈɛɹz ðə bˈif ‖/
idiom
slang
ask where the substance is
Used to say that something does not seem to have real value, facts, or results.
Examples
- The ad sounds great, but where’s the beef?
- Politicians make promises, but voters want to know: where’s the beef?