becoming

/bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /bi-ˈkə-miŋ bē-/ (ame, mw)

becoming — adjective

  • becomingpositive
  • more becomingcomparative
  • most becomingsuperlative

1. describes a piece of clothing, a hairstyle, or a colour that makes the person wh

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a piece of clothing, a hairstyle, or a colour that makes the person who wears or uses it look attractive

例句

Evelyn chose a blue dress that was very becoming on her for the wedding reception.

becoming on

Arjun thought the new short hairstyle was surprisingly becoming on his colleague Rin.

同義詞
  • flattering

    more common in everyday speech; 'becoming' is more formal

  • fetching

    dated or playful; 'becoming' is neutral-formal

  • attractive

    broader meaning; 'becoming' is specific to clothing or style

反義詞
  • unbecoming

    direct opposite; also has a second meaning of 'inappropriate'

  • unflattering

    more common in everyday use

文法句型

becoming on [someone]

becoming + [clothing/hair/colour]

用法筆記

More common in formal or written contexts than in everyday conversation, where 'flattering' or 'nice on' would be used instead. Frequently used with 'on' to specify the person wearing the item.

常見錯誤

❌That hat is very becoming for you.
✅That hat is very becoming on you.
💡when describing how something looks, use 'on', not 'for'.
❌She looks becoming today.
✅She looks attractive today.
💡'becoming' describes the clothing or style, not the person directly.

2. describes behaviour, speech, or actions that are suitable for a particular socia

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describes behaviour, speech, or actions that are suitable for a particular social situation, especially one that calls for politeness, dignity, or restraint

例句

Neha's calm response to the harsh criticism was a becoming display of professionalism.

becoming display of

Samira felt that laughing loudly at the memorial service was not becoming behaviour at all.

not becoming behaviour

同義詞
  • appropriate

    more common and less formal; 'becoming' is more literary

  • fitting

    overlaps in meaning but 'becoming' implies social grace

  • proper

    stronger sense of moral correctness

  • suitable

    broader and more neutral in register

反義詞
  • unbecoming

    direct opposite; 'unbecoming behaviour' is a common collocation

  • inappropriate

    more widely used in modern English

文法句型

becoming + [behaviour/conduct/manner]

not becoming for [someone]

用法筆記

Strongly associated with formal social expectations; rarely encountered in casual conversation, where 'suitable', 'appropriate', or 'proper' are more natural. Frequently appears in the negative ('not becoming') to criticise behaviour, especially in written criticism or formal disapproval.

常見錯誤

❌The shoes are very becoming for the party.
✅The shoes are appropriate for the party.
💡this sense refers to behaviour, not clothing; use sense 1 for clothing.

❌ 'Her becoming dress was admired by everyone.' → ambiguous — for clothing use sense 1 (FLATTERING); for behaviour use sense 2 (APPROPRIATE).