befit

American  

[bih-fit] / bɪˈfɪt /

verb (used with object)

befitted, befitting

1. to be proper or appropriate for; suit; fit.

   His clothes befit the occasion.

---

befit British  

/ bɪˈfɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to be appropriate to or suitable for

---

Other Word Forms

• befitting adjective
• befittingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of befit

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at be-, fit ¹

Example Sentences

The glitzy Sphere suits Las Vegas; a new football arena along classical lines would befit Washington, which Frederick Douglass praised for “its lofty domes and stately pillars.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

Loose curls stand atop his head, messy enough to be neat, neat enough to befit a titan of industry.

From Slate • Oct. 30, 2024

The Richard Hugo House was born 25 years ago in a creaky Victorian house on Capitol Hill — humble beginnings that befit its namesake, the celebrated poet who came from a working-class background.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 8, 2023

Ralph Fiennes’ version befit a consummate actor who’d long cherished T.S.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2023

But he also carried himself with an air of superciliousness that did not befit the leader of a mass organization.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela