become
Americanverb (used without object)
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to come, change, or grow to be (as specified).
He became tired.
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to come into being.
verb (used with object)
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to be attractive on; befit in appearance; look well on.
That gown becomes you.
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to be suitable or necessary to the dignity, situation, or responsibility of.
conduct that becomes an officer.
idioms
verb
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(copula) to come to be; develop or grow into
he became a monster
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(foll by of; usually used in a question) to fall to or be the lot (of); happen (to)
what became of him?
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(tr) (of clothes, etc) to enhance the appearance of (someone); suit
that dress becomes you
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(tr) to be appropriate; befit
it ill becomes you to complain
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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becomesimple
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becomessimple
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have becomeperfect
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has becomeperfect
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am becomingprogressive
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are becomingprogressive
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is becomingprogressive
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have been becomingperfect progressive
-
has been becomingperfect progressive
Past
-
becamesimple
-
had becomeperfect
-
was becomingprogressive
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were becomingprogressive
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had been becomingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of become
First recorded before 900; Middle English becumen, Old English becuman “to come about, happen”; cognate with Dutch bekomen, German bekommen, Gothic biqiman. See be-, come
Explanation
To become is to evolve, change into, or emerge as something. A fertilized egg will hatch and the tiny chick will become a full-grown chicken. When you become angrier and angrier watching the TV news, you begin to feel a certain way. Likewise, when Pinocchio the wooden puppet becomes a real boy in the fairy tale, he changes from toy to human. The word become can also mean "learn how to be" or "be qualified for," as when you dream that some day you'll become an astronaut. The Old English becuman has these meanings, and also "meet with" or "arrive."
Vocabulary lists containing become
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:
Nearly three-quarters of Gen Z adults age 18 to 29 agreed that “staying in has become my default weekend plan,” according to the market-research company’s survey.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
To understand peptide mania, he said, you need to understand that wellness has become profoundly obsessed with masculinity.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
One of the cornerstones of the division between the two is that Fifa's revamped and expanded Club World Cup has become a clear, direct threat to Uefa's Champions League.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Conservatories can become very hot because sunlight passes through the glass and warms the surfaces inside.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
He had apparently become ill in his cell and been taken by car to the municipal hospital in The Hague.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
In adults, it could function as a long-term treatment or provide temporary protection until a restorative procedure becomes affordable or practical.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
As they debate turning around, it becomes very clear that at least one of those creatures — namely an enormous bull shark — is very much not dead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Like any cheap knock-off, with Vance the ruse becomes clear at even a cursory examination.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
The text includes an Omniscient Seashell, drinks that offer forgetfulness or remembering, ghostly apparitions, a magical couples’ retreat at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, and a desert prince who becomes obsessed with Helena.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
He looks at me, and at once, it becomes very clear that he likes me, maybe as much as I like him.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
This is the boldest move Infantino, an administrator who views himself as a world leader on par with presidents and prime ministers, has made in the decade since he became Fifa president.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
WASHINGTON—Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government scientist who became the face of the U.S. response to the Covid-19 pandemic, repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment on Wednesday amid questioning on Capitol Hill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
She tracked him down and they became friends, hanging out and listening to music.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
He said that, over time, it appeared that operations became less and less targeted until the Aug. 14 operation at the Newsom news conference, which had no targets at all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Growing up, she became more and more fascinated with her ability.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
The entire affair is now dangerously close to becoming folklore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Morecroft, of Alexandra Street in Blaina, coached the under-eights and under-nines before becoming chairman in 2023.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Lisa-Kaindé: The older we grow, the more religious I’m becoming … but Naomi lives her spirituality in very different ways.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
At the same time, CDS spreads have been widening, suggesting credit investors are becoming less comfortable with that shift.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
That was when I noticed that Lizzie was becoming quite tearful and upset.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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.
