befit

American  

[bih-fit] / bɪˈfɪt /

verb (used with object)

befitted, befitting

1. to be proper or appropriate for; suit; fit.

   His clothes befit the occasion.

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befit British  

/ bɪˈfɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to be appropriate to or suitable for

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Other Word Forms

• befitting adjective
• befittingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of befit

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; be-, fit ¹

Example Sentences

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

But Ernie was faithful to convention and produced a soothing ode that, well, befit The Times:

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2023

Ralph Fiennes’ version befit a consummate actor who’d long cherished T.S.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2023

He paused near me; then crossed the room, at which corner I could see him from my hiding place: a youth of my years, perhaps, dressed as might befit an apprentice at some trade.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson