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
-
befitssimple
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have befittedperfect
-
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
-
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
Ralph Fiennes’ version befit a consummate actor who’d long cherished T.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2023
Unquestioned, unlimited authority may befit a ruler who reigns by divine right.
From Slate ● Apr. 26, 2023
“Minor leaguers represent our game’s future and deserve wages and working conditions that befit elite athletes who entertain millions of baseball fans nationwide,” players’ association executive director Tony Clark said in a statement.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 29, 2022
The three Domishmen had been at the feast, as befit Prince Quentyn’s rank, though Reznak had taken care to seat them as far as possible from her husband.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
As befits a campaign that has gone badly astray, injuries have played a key part.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 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
The giant candlesticks’ scrolled feet support robustly modeled evangelists; Mark is most conspicuous, as befits the patron saint of Venice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
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
She began with an incisive reading of Webern’s Six Pieces for Orchestra, keeping her conducting elegantly restrained, even economized — gestures that befitted this sharply angled, brief set.
From New York Times ● Apr. 5, 2024
The announcement was made without any warning and delivered, as befitted an academic theologian, in Latin.
From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2022
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
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
Decked out in specially-made commemorative kit, Fabian Hurzeler's side produced a performance befitting the occasion.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
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
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
The room trappings are grand, befitting his dignified status, and completely invented.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
The ensemble he fears looks silly on himself would have looked dignified, elegant, befitting his father in a way he knows it does not him.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
