befit
Americanverb (used with object)
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befits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
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
-
have befittedperfect
-
has befittedperfect
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am befittingprogressive
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are befittingprogressive
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is befittingprogressive
-
have been befittingperfect progressive
-
has been befittingperfect progressive
Past
-
befittedsimple
-
had befittedperfect
-
was befittingprogressive
-
were befittingprogressive
-
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
The Richard Hugo House was born 25 years ago in a creaky Victorian house on Capitol Hill — humble beginnings that befit its namesake, the celebrated poet who came from a working-class background.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 8, 2023
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
As befit the man who had challenged Ernest Rutherford’s disparagement of atomic power as “moonshine” back in 1933, Ernest Lawrence’s first instinct was to take the news of fission as vindication.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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
Status quo defenders say the ultralow pay befits a citizen legislature.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026
The recital acted like a religious experience in which a rarefied atmosphere befits radiance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2026
They were dressed in black, silent and dry-eyed, as befits the norms of sadness in a country accustomed to the dignity of grief.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
The announcement was made without any warning and delivered, as befitted an academic theologian, in Latin.
From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2022
But the visitors were largely subdued, rarely threatening in a first half that befitted a game with so little at stake.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2022
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
The show was part of a powerhouse Thursday night lineup for NBC that included "Cheers" and "The Cosby Show," and frequently flirted with edgy material for its time that befitted the show's vice-informed setting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2018
He dressed in black, as befitted a man of the Night's Watch.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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
A devout Christian, Beshara expressed hope that she and her colleagues would lead "a legislative revolution befitting Syria" that would bring all citizens safety after more than 13 years of war.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Pakistan's military said it had shot down four rudimentary drones and warned any further provocation "would receive a befitting response".
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
It was befitting of an important office job, with only the lightest indicators of riches and omnipotence.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Sometime this morning, while Fahim and Shomari were moved to the larger and nicer chambers befitting anointed Sons of the Six, he'd be moved to...he realized he wasn’t sure.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
