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

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Etymology

Origin of becoming

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

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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

Communications were becoming more difficult so messages to his wife would simply be passed on by Naum.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Rite-Aid, Walgreens and CVS all had harbored the ambition of becoming dominant players in the American healthcare system.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

For bears, or those with less confidence in Micron’s stock, the idea is that the prospect of a memory downturn is becoming more real, Hendi Susanto, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

In the early evening on Tuesday in Los Angeles, it was becoming clear that big things were afoot a few thousand miles away, in Texas.

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026

It’s becoming caustic and accusatory, and I don’t understand how or why it’s happening this way.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

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