Standard Lemma guide

befit

verb · 2 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.

  • /bɪˈfɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: B IH0 F IH1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

to be fit for

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • His conduct was not befitting an officer of his station.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

accord or comport with

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This kind of behavior does not suit a young woman!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: suit, beseem

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: match, fit, correspond, check, jibe, gibe, tally, agree

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h1épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h1epider. Proto-Indo-European *h1pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Old English be- Middle English bi- English be- English fit English befit From be- + fit.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: подхождам (podhoždam) — be fit for
  • Bulgarian: отивам — be fit for
  • Bulgarian: подоба́вам (podobávam) — be fit for
  • Czech: slušet se — be fit for
  • Czech: patřit se — be fit for
  • Czech: hodit se — be fit for
  • Dutch: behoren — be fit for
  • French: convenir à — be fit for
  • French: être approprié pour — be fit for
  • Galician: acaer — be fit for
  • German: anstehen — be fit for
  • German: entsprechen — be fit for
  • German: zukommen — be fit for
  • Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (gatiman) — be fit for
  • Italian: adattarsi — be fit for
  • Māori: haratau — be fit for
  • Māori: huatau — be fit for
  • Māori: pai — be fit for
  • Māori: arotau — be fit for
  • Middle English: bisemen — be fit for
  • Persian: درخور — be fit for
  • Russian: подобать (podobatʹ) — be fit for
  • Scottish Gaelic: freagair do/ri/air — be fit for