befit

B3E1F4I1T1
/bɪˈfɪt/

verb

to be fit for

“His conduct was not befitting an officer of his station.”

Similar
behoovebehovepertainsuitbeseem
OriginEnglish fit ← Middle English fit? ← Old English be- →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

verbbefit (third-person singular simple present befits, present participle befitting, simple past and past participle befitted or befit)

present singular third person befits · participle present befitting · participle past befitted · past befitted

  1. to be fit for

    His conduct was not befitting an officer of his station.

    2 more examples

    Clarke's side roared back with courage and belief befitting a team who had held their nerve in two shootouts to get here.

    2021 June 14, Scott Mullen, “Scotland 0-2 Czech Republic”, in BBC Sport

    Fine or arrogant speech does not befit [an empty-headed] fool—much less do lying lips befit a prince

    1965, Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, The Lockman Foundation

    Synonyms: behoove, behove, pertain

Synonyms & antonyms

verbto be fit for

Similar
behoovebehovepertain

More synonyms by meaning

verbaccord or comport with

Similar
suitbeseem
Broader
matchfitcorrespond
Also see
becomebeseempertainsuit

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ep-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éps
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₁épi
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₁pi
  5. Proto-Germanic*bi
  6. Proto-Germanic*bi-
  7. Proto-West Germanic*bi-
  8. Old Englishbe-
  9. Middle Englishbi-
  10. Englishbe-
  11. Middle Englishfit?
  12. Englishfit
  13. Englishbefit

From be- + fit.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian подхождам, отивам
  • подхождам (podhoždam)be fit for
  • отивамbe fit for
  • подоба́вам (podobávam)be fit for
Czech slušet se, patřit se
  • slušet sebe fit for
  • patřit sebe fit for
  • hodit sebe fit for
Dutch behoren
  • behorenbe fit for
Finnish sopia, kelvata
  • sopiabe fit for
  • kelvatabe fit for
French convenir à, être approprié pour
  • convenir àbe fit for
  • être approprié pourbe fit for
German anstehen, entsprechen
  • anstehenbe fit for
  • entsprechenbe fit for
  • zukommenbe fit for
Italian adattarsi
  • adattarsibe fit for
Māori haratau, huatau
  • harataube fit for
  • huataube fit for
  • paibe fit for
  • arotaube fit for
Persian درخور
  • درخورbe fit for
Russian подобать
  • подобать (podobatʹ)be fit for
Scottish Gaelic freagair do/ri/air
  • freagair do/ri/airbe fit for

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with befit

getsubmitbitkithitfitpermitchocolatesplitsitcommitquitadmitpitlitmagnettransmitwitknitSchmidtPittbritspitwrit
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

befit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/befit

MLA

“befit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/befit. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “befit,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/befit.

Source: befit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.