become Hear it!

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become definition

be·come (bē kum′, bi-)

intransitive verb became -·came′, become -·come′, becoming -·com′·ing

  1. to come to be to become ill
  2. to grow to be; change or develop into by growth the tadpole becomes a frog

Etymology: ME bicumen < OE becuman: see be- & come

transitive verb

  1. to befit; suit modesty becomes her
  2. to be right for or suitable to in appearance that hat becomes you
become Idioms

become of

to happen to; be the fate of

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms become idiom

become Synonyms

become

v.

  1. To come to be

    develop into, change into, resolve into, turn into, pass into, grow into, evolve into, be metamorphosed, eventually be, emerge as, turn out to be, progress toward being, come to be, get to be, be transformed into, be translated into, shift, assume the form of, assume the shape of, be reformed to, be remodeled, be transmuted, be transfigured, be reduced to, be converted to, convert, mature, increasingly grow, shift toward, incline to, melt into*; see also grow 2.

  2. To be suitable

    enhance, set off, display, agree with, accord with, harmonize with, go with, make handsome, adorn, be appropriate, heighten, belong to, be consistent with, match, enrich, garnish, grace, befit, ornament, suit, fit, be fitting, behoove, flatter, embellish, put in the best light, reveal the charm of, augment the attraction of.

    Antonyms distort*, detract from, spoil.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

become Usage Examples

Used with why or when

  • what: Whether a band can capture the magic on record eventually becomes what separates the Grateful Dead success from Led Zeppelin domination.

Modifying Another Word

  • soon: He soon became a favorite with the old farmer, who spoke eloquently of his virtues.
  • increasingly: By 2015, the majority of the Top 20 will consist of targeted therapies, whose place in cancer therapy will become increasingly established.
become usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

become quotes

Waiting for the end, boys, waiting for the end. What is there to be or do? What's become of me or you?

-Empson, Sir William

become quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"become." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/become>

APA Style

become. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/become

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