becoming

IPA/bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/
KK[bɪkˈʌmɪŋ]IPA/bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/

becoming — adjective

  • becomingpositive
  • more becomingcomparative
  • most becomingsuperlative

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

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

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

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • becoming on
  • becoming colour
  • becoming outfit
  • becoming hairstyle
  • becoming dress
Synonyms
  • 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

Antonyms
  • unbecoming

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

  • unflattering

    more common in everyday use

Grammar Patterns

becoming on [someone]

becoming + [clothing/hair/colour]

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

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.adjectiveB2
Definition

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

Example

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

Common collocations
  • becoming behaviour
  • becoming conduct
  • becoming manner
  • becoming modesty
  • becoming dignity
  • becoming tone
Synonyms
  • 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

Antonyms
  • unbecoming

    direct opposite; 'unbecoming behaviour' is a common collocation

  • inappropriate

    more widely used in modern English

Grammar Patterns

becoming + [behaviour/conduct/manner]

not becoming for [someone]

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

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).

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe something that makes a person look good, but 'becoming' has a more formal and literary tone than the others. 'Flattering' is the closest everyday synonym and is far more common in casual conversation — a dress can be described as either 'becoming' or 'flattering', but a friend is more likely to say 'that's really flattering on you' than 'that's very becoming on you'. 'Fetching' is a much older, playful word that now sounds dated or ironic ('a fetching little hat'). 'Attractive' is broader and does not specifically describe how clothing or a hairstyle suits someone; it can describe the person themselves or anything pleasing to the eye. For example: 'The navy dress was becoming on her' emphasises the match between the dress and her appearance; 'The navy dress was flattering on her' is the casual version of the same idea; 'She looked attractive in the navy dress' focuses on her overall appearance rather than the dress's suitability.

flattering ↗fetching ↗attractive ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

English

The adjective 'becoming' developed from the verb 'become', which originally meant 'to come to be' or 'to suit'. By the late 1500s, 'becoming' was being used to describe something that 'suits' a person in appearance or behaviour. The sense of 'appropriate' (sense 2) appeared around the same time and was common in formal writing about manners and social conduct. The word's core idea — something that 'fits' or 'suits' a person or situation — has remained stable for over 400 years.