be formal

Frequency: 8.525.1 per million words

To act or behave in a way that is correct, official, or serious, rather than relaxed.

formalVERBS + formal

Categories:

be

Examples (10)

  • Please be formal in your email to the client.
  • The ceremony was extremely formal, so jackets were required.
  • In court, you must be strictly formal when addressing the judge.
  • Her tone is a bit too formal for a friendly blog post.
  • Could you be more formal during the presentation?
  • At interviews, being formal can help you make a good impression.
  • They are formal at official dinners but relaxed at home.
  • The letter should be formal, not chatty.
  • His style has been formal since he became a manager.
  • Let’s be formal just for the photos, then relax afterward.