Definition

Verb (archaic or literary): 1. To be suitable or appropriate for; to befit: Used to indicate that something is proper, fitting, or becoming for a particular person, situation, or status.

Usage

• The verb beseem is used to comment on the propriety or suitability of an action, quality, or appearance in relation to a person or thing. It is almost always followed by an indirect object (often introduced by a pronoun like , , , ) and an infinitive (, , ).
• Important Note: This word is now considered archaic or highly literary. In modern English, words like befit, suit, or become are more commonly used.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• The word is most frequently used in the negative form (, ) to state that something is improper or unfitting.
• It can be used with impersonal "it" as a subject:

Variants and Related Words

• Beseeming (adjective, archaic): Suitable, becoming.
  • He acted with beseeming modesty.
• Beseemly (adverb, archaic): In a fitting or proper manner.

Synonyms

• Befit: To be suitable or appropriate for.
• Become (archaic in this sense): To be suitable or appropriate for.
• Suit: To be appropriate or acceptable for.
• Befit: To be proper or appropriate for.

Idioms and Phrases

• Ill beseems: Is very unsuitable or improper for. This is a common archaic collocation.
  • It ill beseems a teacher to show such ignorance.

Verb

1. accord or comport with
   • This kind of behavior does not suit a young woman!