- (copula) to come to be; develop or grow into: he became a monster
- (followed by of; usually used in a question) to fall to or be the lot (of); happen (to): what became of him?
- (transitive) (of clothes, etc) to enhance the appearance of (someone); suit: that dress becomes you
- (transitive) to be appropriate; befit: it ill becomes you to complain
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
be•come /bɪˈkʌm/USA pronunciation
v., -came, -come, -com•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [~ + adjective] to come, change, or grow to be (as specified): I became tired and went to bed.
- to come into being:[~ + noun]She became a ballerina.
- to be attractive on;
suit:[~ + object;not: be + ~-ing]That dress becomes you. - to be suitable to the dignity or rank:[~ + object;not: be + ~-ing]conduct that becomes an officer. See becoming.
- Idioms become of, [~ + object;
used in questions]to happen to (someone or something);
to be the fate of (someone or something):Whatever became of him?
be•come
(bi kum′),USA pronunciation v., be•came, be•come, be•com•ing.
v.i.
v.t.
v.i.
- to come, change, or grow to be (as specified):He became tired.
- to come into being.
v.t.
- to be attractive on;
befit in appearance;
look well on:That gown becomes you. - to be suitable or necessary to the dignity, situation, or responsibility of:conduct that becomes an officer.
- Idioms become of, to happen to;
be the fate of:What will become of him?
- bef. 900; Middle English becumen, Old English becuman to come about, happen; cognate with Dutch bekomen, German bekommen, Gothic biqiman. See be-, come
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
become /bɪˈkʌm/ vb ( -comes, -coming, -came, -come) (mainly intr)