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

"I'm ready to do that and represent my country. It's something new but something that I feel comes with the player I'm becoming."

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

However, Shao sees OpenAI’s new ad integration as evidence that “Shopify may be becoming more deeply embedded in agentic commerce rather than being bypassed by it.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

KKR also lists a number of core themes it sees standing to gain from capital becoming more expensive and as focus increases among companies on productivity.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

Nearly three decades in, “South Park” still knows that if you want to understand what Americans think they are becoming, you could do worse than look at what they’re ordering.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

I’d heard Yao and Gideon talk about becoming boat masters themselves one day.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo