become
Americanverb (used without object)
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to come, change, or grow to be (as specified).
He became tired.
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to come into being.
verb (used with object)
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to be attractive on; befit in appearance; look well on.
That gown becomes you.
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to be suitable or necessary to the dignity, situation, or responsibility of.
conduct that becomes an officer.
idioms
verb
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(copula) to come to be; develop or grow into
he became a monster
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(foll by of; usually used in a question) to fall to or be the lot (of); happen (to)
what became of him?
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(tr) (of clothes, etc) to enhance the appearance of (someone); suit
that dress becomes you
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(tr) to be appropriate; befit
it ill becomes you to complain
Etymology
Origin of become
First recorded before 900; Middle English becumen, Old English becuman “to come about, happen”; cognate with Dutch bekomen, German bekommen, Gothic biqiman. See be-, come
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The chicken wing restaurant began with an idea in 2018, and with its distinctive branding, it quickly became a hit in the town.
From BBC
Students training to become paramedics in Wales say they have been advised to apply for jobs abroad due to a freeze on recruitment of newly qualified paramedics.
From BBC
Magyar himself became a diplomat at Hungary's permanent mission in Brussels, later running Orban's team working with the European Parliament.
From BBC
If high gas prices continue, it’s possible some companies will become more open to some extra work-from-home days, said Ron Porter, a senior partner at Korn Ferry.
From MarketWatch
Long a key growth driver—and Nike’s biggest market outside North America—China has become a thorn in its turnaround efforts as Nike faces fiercer local competition and cooling consumer demand.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
