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# unbecoming

adjective (unbecoming)

«unbecoming» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (formal) Unbecoming behaviour is not suitable or proper for a person in a certain role, such as a teacher, officer or guest. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unbecoming/#m1)
2. (old-fashioned) Unbecoming clothes or colours do not look nice on the person wearing them. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unbecoming/#m2)

### In the lessons

Found in formal rules and older stories: «conduct unbecoming of an officer», «unbecoming of a young lady». It tells the reader someone behaved below the standard expected of them. In everyday talk people say «not right» or «doesn't suit you».

### Examples

- Shouting at the referee was unbecoming of a team captain. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unbecoming/#x1)
- The officer was punished for conduct unbecoming. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unbecoming/#x2)
- Grandma said the green hat was rather unbecoming. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unbecoming/#x3)
- Sulking after losing is unbecoming. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unbecoming/#x4)
- Such rude words are unbecoming in a library. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unbecoming/#x5)
- The old novel described a dress «most unbecoming». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unbecoming/#x6)
- It is almost unbecoming to tell the story, but there is no doubt about it." [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unbecoming/#x7)

### Note

Formal or old-fashioned. Used with «of» or «to», or «for»: «unbecoming of a captain». It does not mean «not becoming» in the sense of «not turning into».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «unbecoming» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unbecoming/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«unbecoming» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/unbecoming.html) on Mova free.