Standard Lemma guide

become

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

Usage: copulative

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: get, turn, go, come, fall, grow, wax
  • She became a doctor when she was 25.
  • 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

enter or assume a certain state or condition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He became annoyed when he heard the bad news
  • It must be getting more serious
  • her face went red with anger
  • She went into ecstasy
  • Get going!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: go, get

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change state, turn

Narrower terms: sober up, sober, work, take effect, run, take, break, settle

8

verb

Meaning 8

come into existence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • What becomes has duration

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: occur, come, root, form, take form, take shape, spring, originate, arise, rise, develop, uprise, spring up, grow, come up, bob up, make

9

verb

Meaning 9

undergo a change or development

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The water turned into ice
  • Her former friend became her worst enemy
  • He turned traitor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: turn

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: transform, transmute, metamorphose

Narrower terms: reduce, come down, boil down, suffocate, choke, nucleate, come, add up, amount

10

verb

Meaning 10

enhance the appearance of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Mourning becomes Electra
  • This behavior doesn't suit you!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: suit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fancify, beautify, embellish, prettify

History

Etymology

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
  • : 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
  • Serbo-Croatian: priličiti — to be appropriate for
  • Spanish: quedar bien — to be appropriate for
  • Swedish: klä — to be appropriate for
  • Swedish: passa — to be appropriate for
  • Turkish: yakışmak — to be appropriate for
Real reading context

become in complete knowledge articles