become
verb/bɪˈkʌm/
/bɪˈkʌm/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they become | /bɪˈkʌm/ /bɪˈkʌm/ |
| he / she / it becomes | /bɪˈkʌmz/ /bɪˈkʌmz/ |
| past simple became | /bɪˈkeɪm/ /bɪˈkeɪm/ |
| past participle become | /bɪˈkʌm/ /bɪˈkʌm/ |
| -ing form becoming | /bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/ /bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/ |
- linking verb to start to be something
- + adj. It soon became apparent that no one was going to come.
- It is becoming increasingly clear that something has gone seriously wrong.
- When did you first become aware of the problem?
- It was becoming more and more difficult to live on his salary.
- She was becoming confused.
- + noun He became king in 2022.
- The bill will become law next year.
- Over the last five years she has become part of the family.
- How can I become a member of the society?
- She’s studying to become a teacher.
- His job has become his whole life.
Which Word? become / get / go / turnbecome / get / go / turnThese verbs are used frequently with the following adjectives:become ~ get ~ go ~ turn ~ involved used to wrong blue clear better right sour accustomed worse bad bad pregnant pregnant white red extinct tired crazy cold famous angry bald ill dark blind - Become is more formal than get. Both describe changes in people’s emotional or physical state, or natural or social changes.
- Go is usually used for negative changes.
- Go and turn are both used for changes of colour.
- Turn is also used for changes in the weather.
Definitions on the go
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- [transitive, no passive] (not used in the progressive tenses) become somebody (formal) to be suitable for somebody
- Such behaviour did not become her.
- [transitive, no passive] (not used in the progressive tenses) become somebody (formal) to look attractive on somebody synonym suit
- Short hair really becomes you.
Word OriginOld English becuman ‘come to a place, come (to be or do something)’ (see be-, come), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bekomen and German bekommen ‘get, receive’.
Idioms
See become in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionarywhat became, has become, will become of somebody/something?
- used to ask what has happened or what will happen to somebody/something
- What became of that student who used to live with you?
- I dread to think what will become of them if they lose their home.
Check pronunciation:
become