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
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befitssimple
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have befittedperfect
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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
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was befittingprogressive
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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
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
But he also carried himself with an air of superciliousness that did not befit the leader of a mass organization.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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
Barely a speech goes by without him addressing the destructive power of nuclear weapons with a kind of awe that befits a 79-year-old who grew up during the Cold War.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
And Mr. Reeves’s, um, sparing approach to expressing emotion befits the play.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2025
"As befits the daughter of. Eddard Stark. I am honored to know you, however irregular the manner of our meeting. I am Ser Barristan Selmy, of the Kingsguard."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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
Devin looked far from the days where his cheeks were bone thin at weigh-ins and he befitted the stare of the undead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
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
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
As befitted the central player in the Constitutional Convention, Madison emphasized the various legal obligations imposed by the compact of 1787.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Thanks to the let-off, Brook treated his home crowd to strokeplay befitting his status as the number-one ranked batter in the world.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
It’s a trajectory that the immensely appealing, rollicking documentary “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez” tracks with a vitality and purpose befitting its subject.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 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
Everything about the SpaceX IPO was befitting of Elon Musk’s original goal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
"Show some respect. Those are for the favorite. They are gowns and dresses befitting the most important person in the kingdom...aside from the king, queen, and princesses, of course."
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
