give somebody to believe/understand...

give (one) to believe

To cause one to believe something. Why should I worry? The boss has never given me to believe that she's displeased with my work. What did Mom say that gave you to believe we'd have something fun for dinner? I'm pretty sure she made meatloaf. I was nice to him, and that gave him to believe I was romantically interested, apparently.

See also: believe, give, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

give somebody to beˈlieve/underˈstand (that)...

(formal) (often used in the passive) make somebody believe/understand something: I was given to understand that she had resigned.

See also: believe, give, somebody, to

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017