Befits

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To be fitting or proper for a particular person, situation, or thing
2. To be suitable or right in relation to a specific circumstance or individual
3. To correspond well with the qualities or requirements of a person or context

Etymology: "Befits" comes from the Middle English "befitten," formed from the prefix "be-" and the verb "fit." The "fit" here is the older sense of suitable or proper, not the modern idea of a body in good shape or a fitting for clothes. Its root is the Old English "fitt," meaning a song or a division of a poem, and that connection runs through the sense of things fitting together neatly, like the parts of a verse or the pieces of a joint. The prefix "be-" adds the sense of "around" or "thoroughly," so to befit something is to fit it all over, as a garment fits its wearer. Over time, "befit" became a verb that takes an object and a standard. Something befits a person when it suits their rank, character or circumstances. Its close relative "become" carries a similar sense, and "befitting" often appears in formal or old-fashioned writing, as in "a befitting tribute." The word has stayed mostly in literary and formal registers, where its older sense of proper fit still feels natural.

Synonyms: suits, fitting, matches, accommodates, is suitable for

Antonyms: disfits, dissatisfies, is inappropriate for, is unsuitable for, contradicts