verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Southern-England:/bɪˈkʌm/
Southern-England:/bəˈkʌm/
Northern-England:/bɪˈkʊm/
Northern-England:/bəˈkʊm/
US:/bɪˈkʌm/
US:/biˈkʌm/
US:/bəˈkʌm/
California:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
South-Asia:/ˈbɪk.əm/
rhymes with -ʌm
CMU ARPABET:B IH0 K AH1 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
begin to be; turn into (often with permanent states).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
The weather will become cold after the sun goes down.
The full extent of my injuries did not become evident until they tried to move me.
The sense ‘state or process of bearing fruit’ has become imposed on fruition as the 20c. proceeded.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: get, turn, go, come, fall, grow, wax
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To come about; happen; come into being; arise.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Qualifier: archaic other than in become of
Examples
What became of him after he was let go?
It hath becomen so that many a man had to sterve.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To be appropriate for.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
It doesn’t become a true gentleman to speak in such a manner.
1892, Ambrose Bierce, “The Applicant,” in The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume II: In the Midst of Life (Tales of Soldiers and Civilians), New York: Gordian Press, 1966, He was hatted, booted, overcoated, and umbrellaed, as became a person who was about to expose himself to the night and the storm on an errand of charity [...]
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: befit, suit, beseem
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
Of an adornment, piece of clothing etc.: to look attractive on (someone).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
That dress really becomes you.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To arrive, come (to a place).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To get, receive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: non-native speakers' English
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Narrower terms: occur, come, root, form, take form, take shape, spring, originate, arise, rise, develop, uprise, spring up, grow, come up, bob up, make
A compound of the sources of be- + come. From Middle English becomen, bicumen, from Old English becuman (“to come (to), approach, arrive, enter, meet with, fall in with; happen, befall; befit”), from Proto-Germanic *bikwemaną (“to come around, come about, come across, come by”), equivalent to be- (“about, around”) + come. Cognate with Scots becum (“to come, arrive, reach a destination”), North Frisian bekommen, bykommen (“to come by, obtain, receive”), West Frisian bikomme (“to come by, obtain, receive”), Dutch bekomen (“to come by, obtain, receive”), German bekommen (“to get, receive, obtain”), Swedish bekomma (“to receive, concern”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (biqiman, “to come upon one, befall”). Sense of "befit, suit" due to influence from Middle English cweme, icweme, see queem. Displaced Old English weorþan.
Across languages
Translations
195 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
bëhem
— to begin to be
Amharic:
መሆን
(mähon)
— to begin to be
Chungli Ao:
aküm
— to begin to be
Arabic:
صَارَ
(ṣāra)
— to begin to be
Arabic:
أَصْبَحَ
(ʔaṣbaḥa)
— to begin to be
Arabic:
بقى
(báʔa)
— to begin to be
Arabic:
بقت
(báʔet)
— to begin to be
Arabic:
بقو
(báʔu)
— to begin to be
Arabic:
بقم
(báʔom)
— to begin to be
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:
ܦܵܝܹܫ
(payeš)
— to begin to be
Armenian:
դառնալ
(daṙnal)
— to begin to be
Azerbaijani:
olmaq
— to begin to be
Bakhtiari:
اویدن
(awiðen)
— to begin to be
Bashkir:
булырға
(bulırğa)
— to begin to be
Basque:
bihurtu
— to begin to be
Basque:
bilakatu
— to begin to be
Belarusian:
станаві́цца
(stanavícca)
— to begin to be
Belarusian:
стаць
(stacʹ)
— to begin to be
Bulgarian:
ста́вам
(stávam)
— to begin to be
Bulgarian:
ста́на
(stána)
— to begin to be
Bulgarian:
слу́чвам се
(slúčvam se)
— to begin to be
Bulgarian:
слу́ча се
(slúča se)
— to begin to be
Burmese:
ဖြစ်
(hprac)
— to begin to be
Catalan:
esdevenir
— to begin to be
Catalan:
passar
— to begin to be
Cherokee:
ᏂᎦᎵᏍᏗᎭ
(nigalisdiha)
— to begin to be
Chinese Mandarin:
成
(chéng)
— to begin to be
Chinese Mandarin:
成為 /成为
(chéngwéi)
— to begin to be
Crimean Tatar:
olmaq
— to begin to be
Crimean Tatar:
bolmaq
— to begin to be
Czech:
stávat se
— to begin to be
Czech:
stát se
— to begin to be
Dalmatian:
deventur
— to begin to be
Danish:
blive
— to begin to be
Dutch:
worden
— to begin to be
Esperanto:
iĝi
— to begin to be
Esperanto:
ekesti
— to begin to be
Esperanto:
estiĝi
— to begin to be
Estonian:
muutuma
— to begin to be
Estonian:
saama
— to begin to be
Faroese:
verða
— to begin to be
Faroese:
blíva
— to begin to be
Finnish:
tulla
— to begin to be
French:
devenir
— to begin to be
North Frisian:
wårde
— to begin to be
North Frisian:
wurd
— to begin to be
North Frisian:
wür
— to begin to be
Old Frisian:
wertha
— to begin to be
West-Frisian:
wurde
— to begin to be
Georgian:
გახდომა
(gaxdoma)
— to begin to be
German:
werden
— to begin to be
Greek:
γίνομαι
(gínomai)
— to begin to be
Ancient Greek:
γίγνομαι
(gígnomai)
— to begin to be
Ancient Greek:
γίνομαι
(gínomai)
— to begin to be
Hebrew:
הָפַךְ
(hafákh)
— to begin to be
Hindi:
बनना
(bannā)
— to begin to be
Hindi:
हो जाना
(ho jānā)
— to begin to be
Hungarian:
lesz
— to begin to be
Icelandic:
verða
— to begin to be
Ido:
divenar
— to begin to be
Indonesian:
menjadi
— to begin to be
Interlingua:
devenir
— to begin to be
Irish:
éirigh
— to begin to be
Irish:
fóir do
— to begin to be
Italian:
diventare
— to begin to be
Japanese:
...になる
(... ni naru)
— to begin to be
Japanese:
...となる
(... to naru)
— to begin to be
Japanese:
成る
(naru)
— to begin to be
Old Javanese:
dadi
— to begin to be
Karakhanid:
بُلْماقْ
(bolmāq)
— to begin to be
Kazakh:
болу
(bolu)
— to begin to be
Khmer:
ក្លាយ
(klaay)
— to begin to be
Khmer:
ទៅជា
(tɨw ciə)
— to begin to be
Konkani:
जांव्चे
(zāvce)
— to begin to be
Korean:
되다
(doeda)
— to begin to be
Korean:
-지다
(-jida)
— to begin to be
Kyrgyz:
болуу
(boluu)
— to begin to be
Ladino:
devenir
— to begin to be
Ladino:
fazerse
— to begin to be
Ladino:
azerse
— to begin to be
Lao:
ກາຽ
(kāi)
— to begin to be
Latgalian:
tikt
— to begin to be
Latgalian:
atsarast
— to begin to be
Latgalian:
pasadareit
— to begin to be
Latgalian:
palikt
— to begin to be
Latin:
fiō
— to begin to be
Latin:
exsisto
— to begin to be
Latvian:
kļūt
— to begin to be
Latvian:
tapt
— to begin to be
Latvian:
tikt
— to begin to be
Limburgish:
waere
— to begin to be
Lithuanian:
tapti
— to begin to be
Lü:
ᦂᦻ
(k̇aay)
— to begin to be
Macedonian:
станува
(stanuva)
— to begin to be
Macedonian:
стане
(stane)
— to begin to be
Malay:
semakin
— to begin to be
Malay:
menjadi
— to begin to be
Maltese:
sar
— to begin to be
Manchu:
ᠣᠮᠪᡳ
(ombi)
— to begin to be
Māori:
haere
— to begin to be
Māori:
whanatu
— to begin to be
Mongolian:
болох
(bolox)
— to begin to be
Mongolian:
ᠪᠣᠯᠬᠤ
(bolqu)
— to begin to be
Navajo:
yileeh
— to begin to be
Nepali:
बन्नु
(bannu)
— to begin to be
Norwegian Bokmål:
bli
— to begin to be
Norwegian Nynorsk:
verta
— to begin to be
Norwegian Nynorsk:
bli
— to begin to be
Church Slavic:
стати
(stati)
— to begin to be
Old English:
weorþan
— to begin to be
Old Turkic:
𐰉𐰆𐰞
— to begin to be
Dari:
شُدَن
(šudan)
— to begin to be
Iranian Persian:
شُدَن
(šodan)
— to begin to be
Polish:
zostawać
— to begin to be
Polish:
zostać
— to begin to be
Polish:
stawać się
— to begin to be
Polish:
stać się
— to begin to be
Portuguese:
tornar-se
— to begin to be
Portuguese:
virar
— to begin to be
Portuguese:
transformar-se em
— to begin to be
Portuguese:
ficar
— to begin to be
Portuguese:
devir
— to begin to be
Romanian:
deveni
— to begin to be
Russian:
станови́ться
(stanovítʹsja)
— to begin to be
Russian:
стать
(statʹ)
— to begin to be
Scots:
becum
— to begin to be
Scots:
wirth
— to begin to be
Scottish Gaelic:
fàs
— to begin to be
Serbo-Croatian:
по̀стати
— to begin to be
Serbo-Croatian:
pòstati
— to begin to be
Slovak:
stávať sa
— to begin to be
Slovak:
stať sa
— to begin to be
Slovene:
postati
— to begin to be
Spanish:
volverse
— to begin to be
Spanish:
hacerse
— to begin to be
Spanish:
convertirse en
— to begin to be
Spanish:
llegar a ser
— to begin to be
Spanish:
devenir [en]
— to begin to be
Spanish:
transformarse en
— to begin to be
Swedish:
bli
— to begin to be
Tagalog:
magíng
— to begin to be
Tajik:
шудан
(šudan)
— to begin to be
Tamil:
ஆகு
(āku)
— to begin to be
Tatar:
булырга
(bulırğa)
— to begin to be
Telugu:
అగు
(agu)
— to begin to be
Thai:
กลาย
(glaai)
— to begin to be
Tibetan:
ཆགས
(chags)
— to begin to be
Tocharian B:
klutk-
— to begin to be
Tok Pisin:
kamap
— to begin to be
Turkish:
olmak
— to begin to be
Ottoman Turkish:
اولمق
(olmaq)
— to begin to be
Turkmen:
bolmak
— to begin to be
Ukrainian:
става́ти
(staváty)
— to begin to be
Ukrainian:
ста́ти
(státy)
— to begin to be
Urdu:
ہو جانا
(ho jānā)
— to begin to be
Urdu:
بَنْنا
(bannā)
— to begin to be
Uyghur:
بولماق
(bolmaq)
— to begin to be
Uzbek:
boʻlmoq
— to begin to be
Vietnamese:
trở nên
— to begin to be
Vietnamese:
trở thành
— to begin to be
Volapük:
vedön
— to begin to be
Welsh:
mynd
— to begin to be
Welsh:
dod
— to begin to be
Yakut:
буол
(buol)
— to begin to be
Yiddish:
ווערן
(vern)
— to begin to be
Armenian:
սազել
(sazel)
— to be appropriate for
Azerbaijani:
yaraşmaq
— to be appropriate for
Bulgarian:
прили́чам
(prilíčam)
— to be appropriate for
Bulgarian:
подхо́ждам
(podhóždam)
— to be appropriate for
Bulgarian:
оти́вам
(otívam)
— to be appropriate for
Catalan:
escaure
— to be appropriate for
Danish:
passe godt
— to be appropriate for
Esperanto:
konvenas
— to be appropriate for
Finnish:
pukea
— to be appropriate for
French:
aller bien
— to be appropriate for
German:
stehen
— to be appropriate for
Ancient Greek:
πρέπω
(prépō)
— to be appropriate for
Ancient Greek:
ἔοικα
(éoika)
— to be appropriate for
Ancient Greek:
ἱκνέομαι
(hiknéomai)
— to be appropriate for
Hungarian:
illik
— to be appropriate for
Japanese:
似合う
(niau)
— to be appropriate for
Korean:
어울리다
(eoullida)
— to be appropriate for
Norwegian Bokmål:
kle
— to be appropriate for
Portuguese:
cair bem em
— to be appropriate for
Russian:
идти́
(idtí)
— to be appropriate for
Russian:
годи́ться
(godítʹsja)
— to be appropriate for
Russian:
подоба́ть
(podobátʹ)
— to be appropriate for
Russian:
подходи́ть
(podxodítʹ)
— to be appropriate for
Russian:
прили́чествовать
(prilíčestvovatʹ)
— to be appropriate for
Russian:
соотве́тствовать
(sootvétstvovatʹ)
— to be appropriate for