become

become — verb

1. to change from one state, feeling, or kind of person into another over time, end

1.verbintransitiveA2
Definition

to change from one state, feeling, or kind of person into another over time, ending up adjective or with a particular role or identity.

Example

Bram wants to become a nurse after she finishes high school.

become + noun (role/identity)

The sky became dark very quickly before the storm hit.

become + adjective (change of state)

Common collocations
  • become aware
  • become popular
  • become famous
  • become available
  • become clear
Synonyms
  • turn

    shorter and more sudden; common with colors and weather (turn red, turn cold)

  • grow

    stresses slow, gradual change, usually with adjectives (grow tired, grow old)

  • get

    informal everyday equivalent before adjectives (get angry, get better)

Antonyms
  • remain

    stay the same instead of changing

  • stay

    casual opposite, keep the current state

Grammar Patterns

become + adjective

become + noun

Usage Note

Acts as a linking verb, so it joins the subject to a noun or adjective rather than taking an object. Often paired with time markers (over the years, since then, recently) to stress gradual change.

Common Mistakes

She became to a doctor.
She became a doctor.
no preposition between 'become' and the role noun.
He becomed angry.
He became angry.
past tense is irregular: become / became / become.

2. if a piece of clothing, a hairstyle, or a kind of behaviour becomes someone, it

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

if a piece of clothing, a hairstyle, or a kind of behaviour becomes someone, it makes them look attractive or seems right and proper for the type of person they are.

Example

That dark green jacket really becomes you, Leila.

clothing item + becomes + person

Short hair becomes her much better than the long style she had last year.

hairstyle becomes + person

Common collocations
  • becomes you
  • does not become
  • ill becomes
Synonyms
  • suit

    more common everyday choice with the same structure (the dress suits you)

  • flatter

    stresses making someone look better than usual, usually about clothing or lighting

Antonyms
  • clash with

    look wrong against someone's features or skin tone

Grammar Patterns

something becomes someone

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is transitive and takes a person as its object. Subject is usually a piece of clothing, a colour, a hairstyle, or a kind of behaviour. Often appears in the negative ('does not become') to criticise behaviour as unsuitable for a person's role.

Common Mistakes

You become that hat.
That hat becomes you.
the clothing is the subject; the person is the object.
The shoes are becoming to her.
The shoes become her.
no preposition; the person follows directly.
Idioms

what (has) become of

idiom

used to ask where a person or thing now is, or what has happened to them, especially after a long time has passed.

I often wonder what became of my old classmates from primary school.

What has become of the wooden box that used to sit on the kitchen shelf?

Word family

  • becoming
    adjectiveC2
  • becomingly
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five verbs describe a change of state, but they differ in speed, register, and what follows them. 'Become' is the neutral, all-purpose choice and works with both adjectives (become tired) and nouns (become a teacher). 'Turn' suggests a quicker or more visible change and is the natural pick for colour and weather (turn red, turn cold). 'Get' is the informal everyday option before adjectives (get angry, get better) but cannot take a role noun — you cannot say 'get a doctor'. 'Grow' implies a slow, gradual shift and pairs with feelings or qualities (grow tired, grow fond of). 'Go' often signals an unwanted change (go bad, go quiet, go grey). So: 'She became a lawyer' (neutral career change), 'The leaves turned yellow' (visible shift), 'The milk went sour' (negative change), 'He grew anxious as the deadline approached' (gradual feeling).

become ↗turn ↗getgrow ↗go ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • become a problem
  • become a habit
  • become an adult
  • become reality

Adverbs

Phrases

  • become of
  • become accustomed to
  • become known as
  • become involved in

Prepositions

  • of (what became of...)

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Comes from Old English 'becuman', meaning to arrive at or happen, formed from the prefix 'be-' (about, around) plus 'cuman' (to come). The original sense was 'to come to a place', which over time shifted toward 'to come to be in a state'. The 'suit, look good on' meaning grew out of the older idea of something being fitting or proper, related to how we still say a behaviour 'becomes' a person.