become
Americanverb (used without object)
-
becomes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
became,
past
-
become,
past participle
-
becoming
present participle
-
to come, change, or grow to be (as specified).
He became tired.
-
to come into being.
verb (used with object)
-
becomes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
became,
past
-
become,
past participle
-
becoming
present participle
-
to be attractive on; befit in appearance; look well on.
That gown becomes you.
-
to be suitable or necessary to the dignity, situation, or responsibility of.
conduct that becomes an officer.
idioms
verb
-
(copula) to come to be; develop or grow into
he became a monster
-
(foll by of; usually used in a question) to fall to or be the lot (of); happen (to)
what became of him?
-
(tr) (of clothes, etc) to enhance the appearance of (someone); suit
that dress becomes you
-
(tr) to be appropriate; befit
it ill becomes you to complain
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
becomesimple
-
becomessimple
-
have becomeperfect
-
has becomeperfect
-
am becomingprogressive
-
are becomingprogressive
-
is becomingprogressive
-
have been becomingperfect progressive
-
has been becomingperfect progressive
Past
-
becamesimple
-
had becomeperfect
-
was becomingprogressive
-
were becomingprogressive
-
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:
“The boundaries between circus, Broadway, and concert language become fluid, and something new emerges from that intersection.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Recent claims that AI could become too powerful and threaten humanity have also triggered calls for slower development and tighter regulation.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
For Thales, AI has become increasingly important to its defence business, particularly as governments worldwide place greater emphasis on autonomous systems.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Decades later, those weapons have become another source of marine contamination.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
According to the traditional explanation, that influence becomes progressively weaker as it moves farther from the original atom.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
There’s a difference between a film that becomes a cult classic because it’s genuinely underrated, and one that achieves that status through the unholy, rose-colored lens of social media obsession.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
“However, with neither side showing any clear willingness to back down, traders increasingly believe Brent may need to retest its previous highs before price pressure becomes intense enough to force a political resolution,” Munnelly added.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
At a longer life, mortgage bonds’ trading price becomes even more sensitive to higher rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
“All life is interconnected. If one species moves away or becomes extinct, the order shifts,” said Vern.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
Stowing cash in a high-yield account became a mainstay of financial advice on TikTok.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
Hilda Ellis reworked what became “The Road to Hel” from her doctoral thesis, completed three years earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Germany had a smaller surface fleet than Britain, so submarines became an important part of its strategy.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
Stillman became a councillor for the West Hampstead ward earlier this year and is the outgoing chairman of Camden Liberal Democrats.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
As December temperatures fell, the roll calls became true endurance tests and many did not survive.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
One of those problems is explaining why early-onset cancers are becoming more common.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
“Practical Magic” fits snugly in the latter category: a becoming yet narratively disjointed film that can’t seem to pick a tone.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Every morning, before surfers paddled out, the longtime Venice resident described swells, winds and surf conditions to his followers, becoming for some the town’s trusted surf chronicler.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Fraud is becoming the unpleasant background noise of American life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
In Washington, a day before becoming president of the United States, John Kennedy stepped out of the White House into a cold morning.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
