become
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be·come
(bĭ-kŭm′)v. be·came (-kām′), be·come, be·com·ing, be·comes
v.intr.
To grow or come to be: became more knowledgeable; will become clearer in the morning.
v.tr.
Phrasal Verb: 1. To be appropriate or suitable to: "It would not become me ... to interfere with parties" (Jonathan Swift).
2. To show to advantage; look good with: The new suit becomes you.
become of
To be the fate of; happen to: What has become of the old garden?
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
become
(bɪˈkʌm)vb (mainly intr) , -comes, -coming, -came or -come
1. (copula) to come to be; develop or grow into: he became a monster.
2. (foll by of; usually used in a question) to fall to or be the lot (of); happen (to): what became of him?.
3. (tr) (of clothes, etc) to enhance the appearance of (someone); suit: that dress becomes you.
4. (tr) to be appropriate; befit: it ill becomes you to complain.
[Old English becuman to happen; related to Old High German biqueman to come to, Gothic biquiman to appear suddenly]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
be•come
(bɪˈkʌm)v. -came, -come, -com•ing. v.i.
1. to come, change, or grow to be (as specified): to become tired.
2. to come into being; develop or progress into: She became a ballerina.
v.t. 3. to be attractive on; befit in appearance; suit: That dress becomes you.
4. to be suitable to the dignity, situation, or responsibility of: conduct that becomes an officer.
Idioms: become of, to happen to; be the fate of.
[before 900; Middle English becumen, Old English becuman to come about, happen, c. Old Frisian bikuma, Old High German biqueman, Gothic biqiman. See be-, come]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
become
1. 'become'
When something or someone becomes a particular thing, they start to be that thing. If you become a doctor, a teacher, or a writer, for example, you start to be a doctor, a teacher, or a writer.
Greta wants to become a teacher.
If someone or something becomes a certain way, they start to have that quality.
When did you first become interested in politics?
The past tense of 'become' is became.
We became good friends at once.
The smell became stronger and stronger.
The -ed participle is become.
Life has become a lot harder since James died.
When become is followed by a singular noun phrase, the noun phrase usually begins with a determiner.
I became an engineer.
The young man became his friend.
However, when the noun phrase refers to a unique job or position within an organization, the determiner can be omitted.
In 1960 he became Ambassador to Hungary.
He became CEO last July.
The following words can be used to mean 'become'. These words can be followed only by an adjective. Don't use a noun phrase after them.
2. 'get'
In conversation, get is often used to talk about how people or things change and start to have a different quality.
It was getting dark.
She began to get suspicious.
3. 'grow'
In written English, grow is often used to talk about how people or things change and start to have a different quality.
Some of her colleagues are growing impatient.
The sun grew so hot that they had to stop working.
4. 'come'
If a dream, wish, or prediction comes true, it actually happens.
My wish had come true.
See true - come true
5. 'go'
Go is used to talk about a sudden change in someone's body.
I went numb.
He went cold all over.
You say that someone goes blind or deaf.
She went blind twenty years ago.
Go is always used in the phrases go wrong and go mad.
Something has gone wrong with our car.
Tom went mad and started shouting at me.
6. 'go' and 'turn'
If you want to say that someone or something becomes a different colour, you use go or turn.
Her hair was going grey.
The grass had turned brown.
When she heard the news, she went pale.
He turned bright red with embarrassment.
In American English, you usually use turn, not 'go'.
Be Careful!
Don't use 'get' or 'become' when you are talking about someone's face changing colour. Don't say, for example, that someone 'gets pale' or 'becomes pale'.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
become
Past participle: become
Gerund: becoming
| Imperative |
|---|
| become |
| become |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  become - enter or assume a certain state or condition; "He became annoyed when he heard the bad news"; "It must be getting more serious"; "her face went red with anger"; "She went into ecstasy"; "Get going!"change state, turn - undergo a transformation or a change of position or action; "We turned from Socialism to Capitalism"; "The people turned against the President when he stole the election" sober up, sober - become sober after excessive alcohol consumption; "Keep him in bed until he sobers up" sober, sober up - become more realistic; "After thinking about the potential consequences of his plan, he sobered up" work - arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion; "The stitches of the hem worked loose after she wore the skirt many times" take effect - go into effect or become effective or operative; "The new law will take effect next month" run - change from one state to another; "run amok"; "run rogue"; "run riot" take - be seized or affected in a specified way; "take sick"; "be taken drunk" break - come into being; "light broke over the horizon"; "Voices broke in the air" settle - become resolved, fixed, established, or quiet; "The roar settled to a thunder"; "The wind settled in the West"; "it is settling to rain"; "A cough settled in her chest"; "Her mood settled into lethargy" |
| 2. |  become - undergo a change or development; "The water turned into ice"; "Her former friend became her worst enemy"; "He turned traitor"change state, turn - undergo a transformation or a change of position or action; "We turned from Socialism to Capitalism"; "The people turned against the President when he stole the election" transmute, metamorphose, transform - change in outward structure or looks; "He transformed into a monster"; "The salesman metamorphosed into an ugly beetle" suffocate, choke - become stultified, suppressed, or stifled; "He is suffocating--living at home with his aged parents in the small village" nucleate - form into a nucleus; "Some cells had nucleated" turn - cause to change or turn into something different;assume new characteristics; "The princess turned the frog into a prince by kissing him"; "The alchemists tried to turn lead into gold" | |
| 3. | become - come into existence; "What becomes has duration" occur, come - come to one's mind; suggest itself; "It occurred to me that we should hire another secretary"; "A great idea then came to her" root - come into existence, originate; "The problem roots in her depression" take form, take shape, spring, form - develop into a distinctive entity; "our plans began to take shape" arise, originate, spring up, uprise, develop, grow, rise - come into existence; take on form or shape; "A new religious movement originated in that country"; "a love that sprang up from friendship"; "the idea for the book grew out of a short story"; "An interesting phenomenon uprose" make - be or be capable of being changed or made into; "He makes a great host"; "He will make a fine father" | |
| 4. | become - enhance the appearance of; "Mourning becomes Electra"; "This behavior doesn't suit you!" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
become
verb
1. come to be, develop into, be transformed into, grow into, change into, evolve into, alter to, mature into, metamorphose into, ripen into After leaving school, he became a professional footballer.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
become
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُصْبِحُيُصْبِحُ، يَتَّخِذُ وَظيفَةًيُناسِب، يُلائِميَحْدُثُ لَهُ، يَحِلُّ بِه
stát sestávat seslušet
bliveblive afklædepasse
iĝi
pukeatulla joksikin
postati
lesz: vmi lesz belõle
jadi
fara velverîa
･･･になる
...이 되다되다
fieri
nutiktipasidarytitapti
kļūtnotiktpiestāvēttapt
postati
bli
กลายเป็น
trở nên
become
[bɪˈkʌm] (became (pt) (become (pp)))A. VI
1. (= grow to be) to become famous → hacerse famoso
to become sad → ponerse triste
to become ill → ponerse enfermo, enfermar
to become old → hacerse or volverse viejo
to become angry → enfadarse
to become red → ponerse rojo, enrojecerse
we became very worried → empezamos a inquietarnos muchísimo
he became blind → (se) quedó ciego
this is becoming difficult → esto se está poniendo difícil
to become accustomed to sth → acostumbrarse a algo
it became known that → se supo que ..., llegó a saberse que ...
when he becomes 21 → cuando cumpla los 21 años
to become sad → ponerse triste
to become ill → ponerse enfermo, enfermar
to become old → hacerse or volverse viejo
to become angry → enfadarse
to become red → ponerse rojo, enrojecerse
we became very worried → empezamos a inquietarnos muchísimo
he became blind → (se) quedó ciego
this is becoming difficult → esto se está poniendo difícil
to become accustomed to sth → acostumbrarse a algo
it became known that → se supo que ..., llegó a saberse que ...
when he becomes 21 → cuando cumpla los 21 años
2. (= turn into) → convertirse en, transformarse en
the building has become a cinema → el edificio se ha convertido or transformado en cine
the gas becomes liquid → el gas se convierte en líquido
the building has become a cinema → el edificio se ha convertido or transformado en cine
the gas becomes liquid → el gas se convierte en líquido
3. (= acquire position of) (through study) → hacerse; (by promotion etc) → llegar a ser
to become a doctor → hacerse médico
to become professor → llegar a ser catedrático
he became king in 1911 → subió al trono en 1911
later this lady became his wife → esta dama llegó a ser su esposa más tarde
to become a father → convertirse en padre
to become a doctor → hacerse médico
to become professor → llegar a ser catedrático
he became king in 1911 → subió al trono en 1911
later this lady became his wife → esta dama llegó a ser su esposa más tarde
to become a father → convertirse en padre
B. IMPERS VB what has become of him? → ¿qué ha sido de él?
what will become of me? → ¿qué será de mí?
whatever can have become of that book? → ¿dónde estará ese libro?
what will become of me? → ¿qué será de mí?
whatever can have become of that book? → ¿dónde estará ese libro?
C. VT (= look nice on) → favorecer, sentar bien
that thought does not become you → ese pensamiento es indigno de ti
Become + adjective
Become + noun
that thought does not become you → ese pensamiento es indigno de ti
BECOME, GO, GET
The translation of become/go/get/turn depends on the context and the type of change involved and how it is regarded. Very often there is more than one possible translation, or even a special verb to translate get + ((ADJECTIVE)) (e.g. get angry - enfadarse), but here are some general hints.Become + adjective
• Use ponerse to talk about temporary but normal changes:
I got quite ill Me puse muy malo He went pale Se puso blanco You've got very brown Te has puesto muy moreno He got very angry Se puso furioso• Use volverse to refer to sudden, longer-lasting and unpredictable changes, particularly those affecting the mind:
He has become very impatient in the last few years Se ha vuelto muy impaciente estos últimos años She went mad Se volvió loca• Use quedar(se) especially when talking about changes that are permanent, involve deterioration and are due to external circumstances. Their onset may or may not be sudden:
He went blind (Se) quedó ciego Goya went deaf Goya (se) quedó sordoNOTE Quedarse is also used to talk about pregnancy:
She became pregnant (Se) quedó embarazada• Use hacerse for states resulting from effort or from a gradual, cumulative process:
They became very famous Se hicieron muy famosos The pain became unbearable El dolor se hizo insoportable• Use llegar a ser to suggest reaching a peak:
The heat became stifling El calor llegó a ser agobianteBecome + noun
• Use hacerse for career goals and religious or political persuasions:
He became a lawyer Se hizo abogado I became a Catholic in 1990 Me hice católico en 1990 He became a member of the Green Party Se hizo miembro del Partido Verde• Use llegar a + ((NOUN)) and llegar a ser + ((PHRASE)) for reaching a peak after a period of gradual change. This construction is often used to talk about professional accomplishments:
If you don't make more effort, you'll never get to be a teacher Si no te esfuerzas más, no llegarás a profesor Castelar became one of the most important politicians of his time Castelar llegó a ser uno de los políticos más importantes de su época Football became an obsession for him El fútbol llegó a ser una obsesión para él• Use convertirse en for long-lasting changes in character, substance and kind which take place gradually:
Those youngsters went on to become delinquents Aquellos jóvenes se convirtieron después en delincuentes Over the years I have become a more tolerant person Con los años me he convertido en una persona más tolerante Water turns into steam El agua se convierte en vapor• Use quedar(se) + ((ADJECTIVE)) to talk about changes, particularly when they are permanent, for the worse and due to external circumstances. Their onset may or may not be sudden:
She became a widow (Se) quedó viuda• To translate have turned into or have become + ((NOUN)) in emphatic phrases particularly about people, you can use estar hecho un(a) + ((NOUN)):
Juan has become a really good pianist Juan está hecho todo un pianistaCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
become
[bɪˈkʌm] [became] [bɪˈkeɪm] (pt) [become] [bɪˈkʌm] (pp) copulative vb
vi (= get) to become fat → grossir
to become thin → maigrir
to become angry → se mettre en colère
to become stronger → s'intensifier
to become interested → commencer à s'intéresser
it became known that → on apprit que
to become thin → maigrir
to become angry → se mettre en colère
to become stronger → s'intensifier
to become interested → commencer à s'intéresser
it became known that → on apprit que
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
become
pret <became>, ptp <become>vi
(= grow to be) → werden; it has become a rule → es ist jetzt Vorschrift; it has become a habit → es ist zur Gewohnheit geworden; it has become a custom/nuisance → es ist üblich/lästig geworden; he’s becoming a problem → er wird zum Problem; to become interested in somebody/something → anfangen, sich für jdn/etw zu interessieren
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
become
[bɪˈkʌm] (became (vb: pt) (become (pp)))1. vi → diventare, divenire
to become famous → diventare famoso/a
to become fat/thin → ingrassare/dimagrire
to become angry → arrabbiarsi
to become accustomed to sth → abituarsi a qc
to become a doctor → diventare medico
it became known that → si è venuto a sapere che
to become famous → diventare famoso/a
to become fat/thin → ingrassare/dimagrire
to become angry → arrabbiarsi
to become accustomed to sth → abituarsi a qc
to become a doctor → diventare medico
it became known that → si è venuto a sapere che
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
become
(biˈkam) – past tense became (biˈkeim) : past participle beˈcome – verb1. to come or grow to be. Her coat has become badly torn; She has become even more beautiful.
2. to qualify or take a job as. She became a doctor.
3. (with of) to happen to. What became of her son?
4. to suit. That dress really becomes her.
beˈcoming adjective attractive. a very becoming dress.
beˈcomingly adverbKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
become
→ يُصْبِحُ stát se blive werden γίνομαι volverse tulla joksikin devenir postati diventare ･･･になる ...이 되다 worden bli stać się tornar-se становиться bli กลายเป็น olmak trở nên 成为Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
become
vi. hacerse, convertirse;
___ a → convertirse en;
___ accustomed → acostumbrarse;
___ a doctor → hacerse médico-a; [conversion];
___ crazy → volverse loco-a;
___ frightened → asustarse;
___ ill → ponerse enfermo-a; enfermarse;
___ inflamed → inflamarse;
___ swollen → hincharse.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
become
vi ponerse, volverse, (permanently) quedarse; (inflamed, sick, etc.) inflamarse, enfermarse, etc.; If it becomes swollen..Si se pone hinchado… She became blind..Se quedó ciega…It became inflamed..Se puso inflamado.. Se inflamó.English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.