Showing results for "becoming"

• present participle of become.

becoming

American  

[bih-kuhm-ing] / bɪˈkʌm ɪŋ /

adjective

1. that suits or gives a pleasing effect or attractive appearance, as to a person or thing.

   a becoming dress; a becoming hairdo.

   Synonyms:

   comely

2. suitable; appropriate; proper.

   a becoming sentiment.

   Synonyms:

   fitting, seemly, congruous, decorous, right, apt, fit, meet

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noun

1. any process of change.

2. Aristotelianism. any change involving realization of potentialities, as a movement from the lower level of potentiality to the higher level of actuality.

becoming British  

/ bɪˈkʌmɪŋ /

adjective

1. suitable; appropriate

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noun

1. any process of change

2. (in the philosophy of Aristotle) any change from the lower level of potentiality to the higher level of actuality

Other Word Forms

• becomingness
  noun
• well-becoming
  adjective
• becomingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of becoming

First recorded in 1555–65; become + -ing ¹, -ing ²

Explanation

Something that's becoming is charming, or looks good. It's a compliment — or a sales tactic — if a salesperson gushes, "That dress is so becoming on you!" Clothing that's becoming is well-suited to the person wearing it, flattering him and making him look great. You can also use the adjective to mean "appropriate," as when a stern kindergarten teacher scolds, "That behavior is not becoming, boys." In the 13th century, something becoming was "fitting," and by the 1560s it also meant "looking good." The opposite of becoming is unbecoming.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

becoming

A new series of cards based on Marvel superheroes set a record for first-day and first-month sales of Magic cards, becoming the fastest set to reach $300 million in revenue, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Joanne Callan, a holistic therapist from Bessbrook, began swimming at Camlough Lake occasionally in 2018 before becoming a regular open-water swimmer during the Covid-19 pandemic.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

An ancestor first lost its paired eyes after becoming largely inactive, retained a simple central eye, and later used parts of that structure to build a new and more advanced visual system.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Senior White House and Defense Department officials have discussed the threat of AI becoming a how-to guide for biological weapons since the Biden era, according to Trump administration officials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

“It’s a way of celebrating a girl becoming an adult.”

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn