become
verb OPAL S
/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 She became queen in 1952.
- 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.
- [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
what 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.