Definition of 'come'

Word Frequency

come

(kʌm )

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense comes , present participle coming , past tense came language note: The form come is used in the present tense and is the past participle.Come is used in a large number of expressions which are explained under other words in this dictionary. For example, the expression 'to come to terms with something' is explained at 'term'.

1. verb

When a person or thing comes to a particular place, especially to a place where you are, they move there.

Two police officers came into the hall. [VERB preposition/adverb]

Come here, Tom. [VERB preposition/adverb]

You'll have to come with us. [VERB preposition/adverb]

We want you to come to lunch. [VERB preposition/adverb]

I came over from Ireland to start a new life after my divorce. [VERB preposition/adverb]

We heard the train coming. [VERB]

Can I come too? [VERB]

The impact blew out some of the windows and the sea came rushing in. [V v-ing prep/adv]

Synonyms: arrive, move, appear, enter More Synonyms of come

2. verb

When someone comes to do something, they move to the place where someone else is in order to do it, and they do it. In British English, someone can also come and do something and in American English, someone can come do something. However, you always say that someone came and did something.

Eleanor had come to visit her. [VERB to-infinitive]

Come and meet Roger. [V and v]

A lot of our friends came and saw me. [V and v]

I want you to come visit me. [V inf]

3. verb

When you come to a place, you reach it.

He came to a door that led into a passageway. [VERB + to]

4. verb

If something comes up to a particular point or down to it, it is tall enough, deep enough, or long enough to reach that point.

The water came up to my chest. [V up prep]

I wore a large shirt of Jamie's which came down over my hips. [V down prep]

Synonyms: reach, extend More Synonyms of come

5. verb

If something comes apart or comes to pieces, it breaks into pieces. If something comes off or comes away, it becomes detached from something else.

The pistol came to pieces, easily and quickly. [VERB adverb/preposition]

The door knobs came off in our hands. [VERB adverb/preposition]

6. link verb

You use come in expressions such as come to an end or come into operation to indicate that someone or something enters or reaches a particular state or situation.

The summer came to an end. [VERB to noun]

The Communists came to power in 1944. [VERB + to]

I came into contact with very bright Harvard and Yale students. [VERB + into]

...new taxes which come into force next month. [VERB into noun]

Their worst fears may be coming true. [VERB adjective]

7. verb

If someone comes to do something, they do it at the end of a long process or period of time.

She said it so many times that she came to believe it. [VERB to-infinitive]

Although it was a secret wedding, the press did eventually come to hear about it. [VERB to-infinitive]

8. verb

You can ask how something came to happen when you want to know what caused it to happen or made it possible.

How did you come to meet him? [VERB to-infinitive]

9. verb

When a particular event or time comes, it arrives or happens.

The announcement came after a meeting at the Home Office. [VERB preposition/adverb]

The time has come for us to move on. [VERB]

There will come a time when the crisis will occur. [VERB]

coming singular noun

Most of my patients welcome the coming of summer. [+ of]

Synonyms: up-and-coming, future, promising, aspiring More Synonyms of come

Synonyms: arrival, approach, advent, accession More Synonyms of come

10. preposition

You can use come before a date, time, or event to mean when that date, time, or event arrives. For example, you can say come the spring to mean 'when the spring arrives'.

Come the election on the 20th of May, we will have to decide.

He's going to be up there again come Sunday.

11. verb

If a thought, idea, or memory comes to you, you suddenly think of it or remember it.

He was about to shut the door when an idea came to him. [VERB + to]

Then it came to me that perhaps he did understand. [V to n that]

12. verb

If money or property is going to come to you, you are going to inherit or receive it.

The fortune will come to you. [VERB to noun]

He did have pension money coming to him when the factory shut down. [VERB + to]

13. verb

If a case comes before a court or tribunal or comes to court, it is presented there so that the court or tribunal can examine it.

They were ready to explain their case when it came before the planning committee. [V + before]

President Cristiani expected the case to come to court within ninety days. [VERB + to]

14. verb

If something comes to a particular number or amount, it adds up to it.

Lunch came to $80. [VERB + to]

15. verb

If someone or something comes from a particular place or thing, that place or thing is their origin, source, or starting point.

Nearly half the students come from abroad. [VERB + from]

Chocolate comes from the cacao tree. [VERB + from]

The term 'claret', used to describe Bordeaux wines, may come from the French word 'clairet'. [VERB + from]

16. verb

Something that comes from something else or comes of it is the result of it.

There is a feeling of power that comes from driving fast. [VERB + from]

Some good might come of all this gloomy business. [Vof n/-ing]

He asked to be transferred there some years ago, but nothing came of it. [VERB + of]

17. verb

If someone comes of a particular family or type of family, they are descended from them.

[formal]

She comes of a very good family. [VERB of noun]

18. verb

If someone or something comes first, next, or last, they are first, next, or last in a series, list, or competition.

The two countries have been unable to agree which step should come next. [VERB]

The alphabet might be more rational if all the vowels came first. [V ord]

The horse had already won at Lincolnshire and come second at Lowesby. [V ord]

19. verb

If a type of thing comes in a particular range of colours, forms, styles, or sizes, it can have any of those colours, forms, styles, or sizes.

Bikes come in all shapes and sizes. [VERB + in]

The wallpaper comes in black and white only. [VERB + in]

Synonyms: be available, be made, be offered, be produced More Synonyms of come

20. verb

You use come in expressions such as it came as a surprise when indicating a person's reaction to something that happens.

Major's reply came as a complete surprise to the House of Commons. [VERB + as]

The arrest has come as a terrible shock. [VERB + as]

21. verb

The next subject in a discussion that you come to is the one that you talk about next.

Finally in the programme, we come to the news that the American composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein, has died. [VERB + to]

That is another matter altogether. And we shall come to that next. [VERB + to]

22. convention

People say 'Come' to encourage or comfort someone.

[old-fashioned]

'Come, eat!' the old woman urged.

23. verb

To come means to have an orgasm.

[informal]

24. See also coming, comings and goings

25.

See come again

26.

See as good/stupid/quick etc as they come

27.

See come come

28.

See when you come/it comes down to it

29.

See to have it/get what's coming to you

30.

See come to think of it

31.

See to come

32.

See when it comes (down) to

33.

See where someone is coming from

Phrasal verbs:

See come about

See come across

See come along

See come around

See come at

See come back

See come back to

See come between

See come by

See come down

See come down on

See come down to

See come down with

See come for

See come forward

See come in

See come in for

See come into

See come off

See come on

See come on to

See come out

See come out in

See come out with

See come over

See come round

See come through

See come to

See come under

See come up

See come up against

See come up for

See come upon

See come up to

See come up with

More Synonyms of come

Video: pronunciation of
come

come in British English

(kʌm )

verbWord forms: comes, coming, came or come (mainly intr)

to move towards a specified person or place

come to my desk

to arrive by movement or by making progress

to become perceptible

light came into the sky

to occur in the course of time

Christmas comes but once a year

to exist or occur at a specific point in a series

your turn comes next

to happen as a result

no good will come of this

to originate or be derived

good may come of evil

to occur to the mind

the truth suddenly came to me

to extend or reach

she comes up to my shoulder

10.

to be produced or offered

that dress comes in red only

11.

to arrive at or be brought into a particular state or condition

you will soon come to grief

the new timetable comes into effect on Monday

12. (foll by from)

to be or have been a resident or native (of)

I come from Nigeria

13.

to become

your wishes will come true

14. (tr; takes an infinitive)

to be given awareness

I came to realize its enormous value

15.

(of grain) to germinate

16. slang

to have an orgasm

17. (transitive) British informal

to play the part of

don't come the fine gentleman with me

18. (transitive) British informal

to cause or produce

don't come that nonsense again

19. (subjunctive use)

when (a specified time or event has arrived or begun)

she'll be sixteen come Sunday

come the revolution, you'll be the first to go

20. as…as they come

21. come again?

22. come and

23. come clean

24. come good

25. come it

26. come to light

27. come to light with

28. come to pass

29. how come?

exclamation

30.

an exclamation expressing annoyance, irritation, etc

come now!

come come!

noun vulgar, slang

31.

semen

Word origin

Old English cuman; related to Old Norse koma, Gothic qiman, Old High German queman to come, Sanskrit gámati he goes

Word Frequency

come in American English

(kʌm )

verb intransitiveWord forms: came, come, ˈcoming

to move from a place thought of as “there” to or into a place thought of as “here”:

in the second person, with relation to the speaker

come to me, will you come to the dance tonight?

in the first person, with relation to the person addressed

I will come to see you

in the third person, with relation to the person or thing approached

he came into the room

to approach or reach by or as by moving toward

to arrive or appear

help will come

to extend; reach

the bus line comes near the hotel

to happen; take place

success came to him early in life

to take form in the mind, as through recollection

her name finally came to him

to occur in a certain place or order

after 9 comes 10

to become actual; evolve; develop

peace will come in time

to proceed; progress; get (along)

how's your new book coming (along)?

to be derived

milk comes from cows

to be descended

he comes from an old family

to be a native, resident, or former resident

with from

10.

to be caused; result

illness may come from a poor diet

11. US

to be due or owed (to)

used in the participle

to get what is coming to one

12.

to pass by or as by inheritance

the house came to him on the death of his father

13.

to enter into a certain state or condition

this word has come into use

14.

to get to be; become

my shoe came loose

15.

to be obtainable or available

this dress comes in four sizes

16.

to amount; add up (to)

17. Informal

to have a sexual orgasm

18.

when (a specified time or event) occurs [come evening, he will return]

used with the subject after the verb

noun

19. Slang

semen

somewhat vulgar

interjection

20.

used to express irritation, impatience, remonstrance, etc.

oh come! it's not that bad

Idioms:

Word origin

ME comen < OE cuman, akin to Goth qiman, Ger kommen < IE base *gwem-, *gwā-, to go, come > L venire, to come, Gr bainein, to go

Example sentences including
come

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

And the final large gallery hardly comes with the force of a flood.The difference came to just one per cent.Come spring we will see whether or not that is going to be another costly oversight.With those superstars on show in the coming months the future seems bright. Wonder is something that comes at the end of the childbirth experience.This hoary old myth just keeps coming round again and again.There were top players coming near the end of their careers who had to be moved on. May come from rocket or something else. Let them come, he says.The multimillion-pound publicly funded operation comes weeks after the government said that 11,000 badgers were shot last year to protect cattle from tuberculosis.