be supposed to

verb
UK: /biː səˈpəʊzd tə/
US: /biː səˈpoʊzd tə/

  1. To be expected or required to do something, according to a plan, agreement, or rule.

    1. We are supposed to meet at 8. [ ] [ ]
    2. You are supposed to bring a dish to the party, but it's not mandatory. [ ] [ ]

  2. Used to say what someone is expected to do or what is likely to happen.

    1. The bus is supposed to arrive soon. [ ] [ ]
    2. She was supposed to be here an hour ago; I wonder what happened to her. [ ] [ ]

  3. Used to express a belief or general opinion about something.

    1. He is supposed to be a very good doctor. [ ] [ ]
    2. That restaurant is supposed to have the best pizza in town, according to my friend. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

should meant to
be supposed to idiom

  1. Something believed or rumored to be true, but possibly not.

    1. It's supposed to be haunted. [ ] [ ]
    2. That's supposed to be the best way to fix it, but I'm not sure it'll work. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "be supposed to" in English means: To be expected or required to do something, according to a plan, agreement, or rule., Used to say what someone is expected to do or what is likely to happen., Used to express a belief or general opinion about something..

The phonetic transcription of "be supposed to" is /biː səˈpəʊzd tə/ in British English and /biː səˈpoʊzd tə/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "be supposed to": should, meant to.

Example usage of "be supposed to": "We are supposed to meet at 8.". More examples on the page.