befit
Americanverb (used with object)
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befits,
present (3rd person singular)
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befitted,
past participle, past
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befitting
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
befitsimple
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befitssimple
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have befittedperfect
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has befittedperfect
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am befittingprogressive
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are befittingprogressive
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is befittingprogressive
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have been befittingperfect progressive
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has been befittingperfect progressive
Past
-
befittedsimple
-
had befittedperfect
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was befittingprogressive
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were befittingprogressive
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had been befittingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of befit
late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at be-, fit 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The glitzy Sphere suits Las Vegas; a new football arena along classical lines would befit Washington, which Frederick Douglass praised for “its lofty domes and stately pillars.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
Loose curls stand atop his head, messy enough to be neat, neat enough to befit a titan of industry.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2024
Ralph Fiennes’ version befit a consummate actor who’d long cherished T.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2023
Elaborate gold concoctions that would befit a pope adorned their heads.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2023
They were good boots, as befit one of Lord Tywin's men; heavy leather, oiled and supple, much finer than what Bronn was wearing.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
But the stadium switch illustrates their ambition, and Chelsea believe it is a venue that befits their recent success.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
The live communion of these four musicians especially befits Big Ears, a festival devoted to unconventional music and famous for its promise of spontaneity around each corner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
Mr. Irons is a credit to his family, playing Mycroft with the right balance of bemusement with his brother and the stuffiness that befits a member of the Foreign Office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
The recital acted like a religious experience in which a rarefied atmosphere befits radiance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2026
The noise at the door startled all who were awake, but it was only the doctor, looking pale and rumpled, as befits a man who was called to work in the middle of the night.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
The vibe in Joel Coliseum certainly befitted the stakes for the Demon Deacons.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 24, 2024
Devin looked far from the days where his cheeks were bone thin at weigh-ins and he befitted the stare of the undead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
The safari park said she had a big character which befitted her 1.5 tonne frame.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2023
I made my lost earrings grand and snooty, as befitted objects that demanded the wearer suffer for their beauty.
From New York Times ● Dec. 24, 2021
Shanta first, a big wedding which lasted for many days, plenty of gifts and feasts, diamond earrings, a gold necklace, as befitted the daughter of the village headman.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
The crowd participated too Friday, giving Tucker ovations more befitting a hitter on a heater than one on ice each time he stepped to the plate, where he put up a fight all night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Thanks to the let-off, Brook treated his home crowd to strokeplay befitting his status as the number-one ranked batter in the world.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Her “Left Over,” which she first recorded for 2015’s “For One to Love,” is the loveliest track here, befitting the classics surrounding it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
The billionaire singer and three-time Super Bowl champion, both 36, have kept fans guessing, but media reports describe an over-the-top celebration befitting one of the world's most famous musicians.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
After Uncle Al recovers from his violent but short-lived bereavement, he organizes a farewell befitting “our beloved Lucinda.”
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
