befit
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
befitsimple
-
befitssimple
-
have befittedperfect
-
has befittedperfect
-
am befittingprogressive
-
are befittingprogressive
-
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
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
His hearing is assisted by small aids, but his mobility and stamina befit a much younger man.
From New York Times ● Sep. 28, 2022
Ramsay Bolton was attired as befit the lord of the Horn- wood and heir to the Dreadfort.
From "A Dance with Dragons" 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
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
Overall the score has a bright, likable pop sheen that befits the material.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 31, 2025
"I will leave you here, Camellia, to get acquainted and witness the toilette ritual that only befits a princess and future queen. I'll see you later this evening for the royal games and banquet."
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Apart from Serena Williams' farewell, this was the biggest blockbuster of the tournament so far and a match-up between two entertaining players which would have befitted the latter stages.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 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 Pegu Club project befitted the family’s East-meets-West positioning and the optimism of a country newly engaging with the world.
From Seattle 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
Also Doctor Watson says about Sherlock Holmes His mind... was busy in endeavouring to frame some scheme into which all these strange and apparently disconnected episodes could befitted.
From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon
Now, we have moved far beyond this "muddy era" - and the new game is filled with bright colours befitting of the Caribbean setting.
From BBC ● 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
It was befitting of an important office job, with only the lightest indicators of riches and omnipotence.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Often smeared on hot buttered toast, it tastes like a fishy, peppery paté, befitting the mock Latin name Osborn gave to it, Patum Peperium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
“It is indeed most fine,” she answered, “and befitting a queen issued from so many kings.”
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
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.
