Come | Mean of come in English Dictionary

/ˈkʌm/

• Verb
• to move toward someone or something
1. Please come here for a minute. I want to show you something.
2. Don't come near me.
3. She came quietly into the room.
4. He came home late again last night.
5. The dog began to growl as we came closer.
6. Here he comes. [=he is approaching us]
7. The captain of the ship invited us to come aboard.
8. The dog came running when she called it. [=the dog ran to her when she called it]
9. If you need me I'll come running. [=I'll come to you very quickly]
• to go or travel to a place
1. People come from all over the country to see him.
2. Some people came by car while others came by plane.
3. Why don't you come and/to stay with us for a while?
4. My parents are coming for a visit. = My parents are coming to visit.
5. I hope you'll come (to/and) visit us soon.
6. About a hundred people are coming to the wedding.
7. People come many miles to visit the shrine.
8. They came very far [=they traveled a long way] to see you.
9. My brother is coming down [=traveling south] to visit me this week, and I'll be going up to visit him next month.
10. She lives uptown and rarely comes down to this part of the city.
11. My parents are coming up [=traveling north] to visit me this weekend.
12. She lives downtown and rarely comes up to this part of the city.
13. We've come so far [=we've made so much progress]; we can't stop now.
14. It's remarkable to think of how far she's come since she started her career.
• to be delivered to a place
1. Did/has the mail come yet?
2. The mail comes every day at four o'clock.
3. A letter came for you.

• to have or form an opinion, attitude, etc., after time passes
1. I didn't like him at first, but I eventually came to regard him as a friend.
2. He has come to be considered one of the leading candidates for the job.
3. They came to believe that no one would help them.
4. She came to be known [=she became known] as the world's greatest dancer.
5. The food wasn't as good as I've come to expect.
• to do something specified
1. I don't know how he came to acquire the property. [=I don't know how he acquired the property]
2. How did you come to have such an idea? [=what caused you to have such an idea?]
3. How did she come to be there? [=why was she there?]
• to reach a specified level, part, etc.
1. Her dress came (down) to her ankles.
2. The water came almost up to the window.
• to reach a specified state or condition
1. My shoe came untied.
2. The screw came loose.
3. Things will come [=become] clear if we are patient.
4. The party suddenly came alive. [=the party suddenly became lively]
5. The rent is coming due next week. [=the rent will be due next week]
• to happen or occur
1. These changes couldn't have come at a better time.
2. I promise that no harm will come to you. [=I promise that you will not be harmed]
3. Her success came at a high price. [=she paid a high price for her success]
4. It's important for children to learn about the people and things that came before us.
5. Success didn't come easy for her. [=she did not achieve success easily]
• to arrive or happen after time has passed
1. The days will be longer when spring comes. = Come spring the days will be longer.
2. She'll be back in school come September. = She'll be back in school when September comes.
3. This war will end eventually, and when that day comes, we will all be profoundly thankful.
4. The time has come to stop hesitating and make a decision.
• to be available
1. This model comes in several sizes. [=this model can be bought in several sizes]
2. a product that comes in a variety of colors and shapes
3. when the product first came on the market [=when the product was first being sold]
• to have something as a feature, quality, ability, etc.
1. The car comes (equipped/complete) with air-conditioning.
• to have a specified position or place in a series
1. I don't know which came first.
2. The letter D comes after C and before E.
3. He cares about his job, but his family comes first. [=his family is more important than his job]
• to end a race or competition in a specified position
1. Joan won the race and her sister came [=finished, came in] second.
• to experience an orgasm
• to happen
1. Their meeting came about by accident/chance.
2. I don't know how it came about that she overheard our conversation.
• to turn to a different direction
1. The captain gave the order to come about.
• to seem to have a particular quality or character
1. How did he come across? [=what kind of impression did he make?]
2. He comes across as (being) a good speaker. [=he seems to be a good speaker; people think that he is a good speaker when they hear him talk]
3. He came across as a nice guy. [=he seemed to be a nice guy]
• to be expressed to someone
1. She says she was trying to be helpful, but that's not what came across when I talked to her. [=I did not get the feeling that she was trying to be helpful when I talked to her]
2. Her enthusiasm really came across [=came through] when she talked about her job. [=we could see that she was really enthusiastic when she talked about her job]
• to meet or find (something or someone) by chance
1. Researchers have come across important new evidence.
2. As I was walking through the town, I came across a group of street performers.
• to pay money that someone wants or demands
1. They threatened to hurt him if he doesn't come across (with the money).
• to chase (someone)
1. They're worried that the government might be coming after them.
• to go somewhere with someone
1. They asked me to come along (with them) on the trip. [=they asked me to go with them on the trip]
2. I'm going to the museum tomorrow. Would you like to come along?
• to make progress
1. The project started slowly, but now the work is coming along.
2. The work is coming along well.
3. The investigation is coming along slowly, and there's still a lot more work to be done.
• to happen or appear as someone or something that might be used, chosen, etc.
1. She says she won't just marry the first man that comes along.
2. An opportunity like this doesn't come along [=occur] too often.
• to rise to a much higher level of success
1. He's come a long way from his days as a young reporter. Now he's one of the country's most respected journalists.
• to make a great amount of progress
1. Medicine has come a long way in recent years.
• to break into parts or pieces
1. an old house that is coming apart at the seams [=an old house that is in very bad condition]
2. a coalition that is coming apart
3. Their marriage is coming apart at the seams. [=their marriage is failing]
• to start to accept and support something (such as an idea) after opposing it
1. She still says she won't support us, but she'll come around eventually. [=she'll support us eventually]
2. She'll come around to our side eventually.
3. People are starting to come around to the idea.
• to become conscious
1. He took a bad fall and knocked himself out. When he came around [=woke up, came to], he didn't remember what had happened.
• to go to visit someone
1. Why don't you come around [=come over] (to my house) after work today?
• to occur in the usual way as time passes
1. I always feel a little sad when the end of the school year comes around.
• to move toward (someone) in a threatening or aggressive way
1. They kept coming at me.
• to be directed at or toward (someone)
1. The questions kept coming at him so quickly that he didn't know how to respond to them.
• to begin to deal with or think about (something)
1. We need to come at [=approach] these problems from a different angle.
• to move away from (an area, place, etc.)
1. The guard told him to come away from the door.
2. Most readers come away from the book feeling reassured. [=most readers feel reassured when they finish the book]
3. It was a difficult experience, but she came away from it a stronger and more confident person.
• to return to a place
1. I hope you'll come back and see us again soon.
2. a decision that may come back to haunt us [=a decision that may cause problems for us in the future]
• to return to a former good condition
1. It can be difficult for an athlete to come back [=recover] from an injury like this.
2. a species that was nearly extinct but that has been coming back
• to become popular or fashionable again
1. Short skirts were out of fashion for many years, but now they're coming back.
• to be successful in a game, sport, etc., after being behind
1. The team was trailing after the first half, but they came back and won in the second half.
• to return to someone's memory
1. I had forgotten a lot of what I learned about music, but it's all coming back to me now. [=I am beginning to remember it now]
• to make a reply or response
1. When questioned about his involvement, he came back with an angry denial.
• to cause disagreement between (people or groups)
1. We shouldn't let these problems come between us.
• to make a visit to someone
1. Why don't you come by [=come over] for a while after dinner?
• to get or acquire (something)
1. I asked him how he came by the money, but he wouldn't tell me.
2. A good job is hard to come by. [=it's hard to get a good job]
• to move or fall downward
1. The crowd erupted in applause as the curtain came down.
2. One of the tree's branches came down during the storm.
• to fall from the sky
1. She stood at the window, watching the rain come down.
2. The rain was coming down in sheets. [=it was raining very heavily]
• to go to a lower level
1. Stock prices have continued to come down [=fall] this week. = Stocks have continued to come down in price this week.
2. It's sad to see how he has come down in the world. [=how he has fallen to a lower position or status after being wealthy, successful, etc.]
• to decide or say in an official or public way that you support or oppose someone or something
1. The committee came down in favor of the proposal. = The committee came down on the side of the proposal. [=the committee approved the proposal]
2. Some of his former supporters have come down against him.
• to stop feeling the effect of an illegal drug
1. an addict who is coming down from heroin
• to criticize or punish (someone)
1. The governor has promised to come down hard on corrupt officials. [=to severely punish corrupt officials]
2. Her boss came down on her pretty hard when she didn't finish the report on time.
• to make a strong effort to stop or oppose (something)
1. The governor has promised to come down hard on corruption.
• to have (something) as the most important part
1. People talk about various reasons for the company's failure, but it all comes down to one thing: a lack of leadership.
2. The election is going to come down to which candidate seems most trustworthy to the voters. [=the candidate who seems most trustworthy will win the election]
3. It's nice to be rich, but when you come (right) down to it, it's more important to be healthy and happy.
• to begin to have or suffer from (an illness)
1. She came down with [=contracted] measles.
2. I think I may be coming down with [=getting, catching] a cold.
• to say openly or publicly that you are the person who should get something or who can do something
1. No one has yet come forward to claim the reward.
2. Several people came forward to offer their assistance.
• to have (a specified origin or source)
1. Wine comes from grapes. [=wine is made from grapes]
2. English words come from a wide variety of sources.
• to be the result of (something)
1. I'm not surprised that you don't feel well. That's what comes from not eating the right kinds of food.
• to be from (a place): such as
• to have been born or raised in (a place)
1. She comes (originally) from a small southern town.
2. The people who attend the convention come from countries all around the world.
3. (informal) I understand where you're coming from. [=I understand why you feel or think the way you do; I understand your point of view]
• to be produced in (a place)
1. Where did this wine come from? [=where is this wine from?]
2. There was a bad smell coming from the basement.
3. A sob came from her throat. [=she sobbed]
• to be said or told by (someone)
1. This information comes from a person I trust.
2. (informal) Those comments are pretty surprising, coming from you. [=it is surprising that you would make those comments]
• to enter a place
1. Welcome. Please come in.
• to arrive at a place
1. The store will have some exciting new products coming in next week.
• to be received
1. The election results should start coming in soon. [=we should start receiving/getting the election results soon]
2. The broadcast was coming in loud and clear. [=we could hear the broadcast very clearly]
• to have a particular role or function
1. We're going to need someone to help with the cooking, and that's where you come in. [=your job will be to help us with the cooking]
• to begin to produce flowers
1. in early spring, when the forsythias are coming into bloom
2. The lilacs have begun to come into flower.
• to get or be given (something unpleasant, such as criticism)
1. The government's policies are coming in for increasing criticism. [=more people are beginning to criticize the government's policies]
• to become involved in (something)
1. He says he'd like to come in (with us) on the deal.
• to enter (a place)
1. Everyone watched her as she came into the room.
• to get (something) as a possession
1. He came into a fortune when he inherited his father's estate.
• to be involved in (something)
1. Deciding who to hire should be a business decision. You shouldn't allow personal feelings to come into it. [=you shouldn't allow personal feelings to affect your decision]
• to begin to have the kind of success that you are capable of having
1. She has really started to come into her own recently.
2. The company was struggling for many months, but now it really seems to be coming into its own.
• to appear
1. Another ship suddenly came into view.
2. As we turned the corner, the distant mountains came in sight.
• to stop being attached to something
1. When I tried to pick up the suitcase, the handle came off. = The handle came off the suitcase.
• to produce a desired result
1. His plans to start his own business never came off.
• to do or perform well or badly
1. She came off well in the contest.
2. He came off badly/poorly in the debate.
• to seem to have a specified quality or character
1. He's really just shy, but he comes off as a little arrogant. [=he seems a little arrogant]
2. He came off as a stuffy old man.
• to have recently completed or recovered from (something)
1. a company that is coming off a very successful year
2. an athlete who is coming off a serious injury
• to have recently stopped using (an illegal drug)
1. an addict who is coming off heroin
• to stop talking or acting in a foolish way
1. “I could be a pro golfer if I really tried.” “Oh, come off it! You're not even close to being that good!”
• to happen or progress as time passes
1. Darkness came on rapidly/gradually [=it rapidly/gradually became dark] as the sun went down.
• to begin to happen
1. Rain came on toward noon. [=it began to rain when it was almost noon]
2. I feel a headache coming on.
3. It looks like it might be coming on to rain. [=it looks like it might start to rain soon]
• to begin to work or function
1. The lights came on briefly and then went out again.
• to start
1. That program you like is coming on in a few minutes.
• to have or seem to have a certain quality or nature
1. He comes on [=comes across] as a conservative.
• to be very forceful or too forceful in talking to someone or dealing with someone
1. She didn't like him because she felt that he came on too strong.
• to become stronger or more successful in a continuing contest, race, etc.
1. The team was playing poorly in the early part of the season, but it has been coming on strong lately.
2. a political candidate who has been coming on strong in the polls as the day of election draws closer
• to show sexual interest in (someone)
1. She complained that her boss has been coming on to her.
• to start to talk about or deal with (something)
1. We'll come on to [=come to, get to] that question later.
• to become available
1. A new magazine is coming out next week.
2. The book/movie comes out next month.
• to become obvious
1. His pride came out in his refusal to accept help. [=his refusal to accept help showed his pride]
• to become known
1. The truth finally came out. [=people finally learned the truth]
2. It came out that he had known about these problems all along, but he hadn't said anything.
• to say something openly
1. Why don't you just come out and say what you really think?
• to say publicly that you support or oppose someone or something
1. She came out in favor of the proposal.
2. Some of his former supporters have come out against him.
• to say openly that you are a homosexual
1. Many gay entertainers have been reluctant to come out.
2. Last year she came out (as a lesbian) to her parents. [=she told her parents that she is a lesbian]
• to appear after being hidden
1. The rain stopped and the sun/moon/stars came out as the clouds cleared away.
2. animals that only come out at night
• to open
1. in the spring, when the flowers are beginning to come out (in bloom)
• to end or finish in a specified way
1. How did the game come out? [=turn out] [=who won the game?]
2. Everything came out [=ended up, turned out] all right.
3. She expects to come out ahead in the end.
4. He's confident that he'll come out a winner.
5. He's confident that he'll come out on top [=that he'll win] when all the votes have been counted.
• to produce a good picture
1. Those pictures I took at the game yesterday didn't come out.
• to be said, expressed, or understood in a particular way
1. That's not what I meant to say. It didn't come out right.
2. He was trying to make a joke, but it came out wrong.
• to result from (something)
1. It's hard to see how anything good can come out of this.
• to go through the experience of (something)
1. I was lucky to come out of [=come through] the accident alive.
• to say or express (something, such as an idea)
1. She came out with a new proposal.
2. He's always saying ridiculous things. You never know what he'll come out with next.
3. Why don't you just come out with it and say what you really think?
• to publish or produce (something that will be sold to the public)
1. a publisher that is coming out with a new series of children's books
2. a car company that is coming out with several new models next year
• to make a social visit to someone
1. Why don't you come over [=come around] (to my place) after work?
• to change from one side to the other in a disagreement, competition, etc.
1. I've been trying to persuade her to come over to our side, but I haven't convinced her yet.
• to affect (someone) in a sudden and strong way
1. A sudden feeling of dread came over me. [=I felt a sudden feeling of dread]
2. He's behaving so strangely. I don't know what's come over him lately. [=I don't know what has caused him to behave so strangely]
• to succeed in doing something
1. an athlete who is known for coming through in the clutch
2. “I managed to get the tickets.” “Great! I knew you'd come through.”
• to be received and understood
1. The message came through loud and clear.
2. The signal wasn't coming through. [=we weren't receiving the signal]
• to be given or made official in a formal and final way
1. We're still waiting for approval of our loan application to come through.
• to have the experience of living through (something)
1. It was a very difficult illness, but he came through it in pretty good shape.
• to reach (a place) while traveling
1. We came to a fork in the road.
• to reach (a particular point or step in a process)
1. Deciding to buy a new car was easy. Now we come to the hard part: finding the money.
2. I can't believe that it has come to this.
• to approach or reach (a specified condition)
1. The water came slowly to a boil. [=the water slowly began to boil]
2. The project suddenly came to a stop/halt. [=the project suddenly stopped]
3. The work has finally come to an end. [=has finally ended]
• to result in (something)
1. His ambitious plans never came to much.
2. She talked about learning to fly, but it all came to nothing in the end. [=she never did learn to fly]
• to make or reach (something, such as a decision or an agreement) after thinking or talking
1. The two sides finally came to an agreement/understanding after many hours of discussion.
2. I've been thinking about what to do next, and I've come to a decision. [=I've made a decision]
3. I've come to the conclusion [=I've decided] that we need to try a different method.
• to produce (an amount) when added together
1. The bill came to [=amounted to] 10 dollars.
• to be thought of by (someone)
1. The answer suddenly came to me. [=I suddenly thought of the answer]
• to join or meet
1. the place where two rivers come together
• to form a group
1. People from many different areas have come together to try to find a solution.
• to begin to work or proceed in the desired way
1. The project started slowly, but everything is finally starting to come together now.
• to be subjected to (something)
1. The troops were resting when they suddenly came under attack. [=when they were suddenly attacked]
2. His policies have been coming under attack/criticism/fire from conservatives. [=conservatives have been attacking/criticizing his policies]
3. Many people feel that their civil rights are coming under threat. [=are being threatened]
4. Some of the governor's recent proposals are now coming under increased scrutiny. [=people are now looking more closely and critically at the proposals]
5. The school is coming under pressure to change its policies.
• to be affected, controlled, or influenced by (something)
1. an area that has come under the control of rebel forces [=an area that is now controlled by rebel forces]
2. He was 30 years old when he first came under the care of a psychiatrist. [=when he first began to be treated by a psychiatrist]
3. Many young people have come under his influence. [=many young people have been influenced by him]
4. areas that come under his authority
• to move near to someone or something
1. He came (right) up (to me) and introduced himself.
• to be mentioned or thought of
1. That issue never came up. [=arose]
2. A question has come up about the budget.
3. I was surprised when his name came up as a possible candidate for the job.
• to occur in usually a sudden or unexpected way
1. She seems to be ready to deal with any problem that may come up. [=arise]
2. Something has come up and I won't be able to attend the meeting.
3. We need to be ready to take action if an opportunity comes up.
• to become visible in the sky
1. She was already awake when the sun came up.
• to first appear above the ground
1. in the spring, when the daffodils and tulips are coming up
• to finish in a specified condition or state
1. I flipped the coin and it came up heads/tails.
2. The shot came up short. [=the shot did not go far enough]
• to move up in rank or status
1. an officer who came up from/through the ranks [=who started as an ordinary soldier and rose to become an officer]
• to be stopped or slowed by (something)
1. The proposal has come up against some opposition. [=there is some opposition to the proposal]
• to fail to get or find something or someone
1. The police searched the area for clues but came up empty. [=they did not find any clues]
• to meet or find (someone or something) by chance
1. As they turned the corner, they came upon an unexpected scene.
2. While researching the town's history, she came upon some surprising new information about its first mayor.
• to affect (someone) suddenly
1. An urge to travel suddenly came upon him. [=he suddenly felt an urge to travel]
• to be as good as (something)
1. The movie didn't come up to our expectations. [=was not as good as we expected it to be]
• to get or think of (something that is needed or wanted)
1. We finally came up with a solution (to our problem).
2. He came up with an interesting new method of improving the factory's efficiency.
3. He'll be in a lot of trouble if he doesn't come up with the money he owes.
• regardless of what happens
1. He promised to support her, come what may.
• existing or arriving in the future
1. No one knows what will happen in the days to come.
2. There will be more trouble to come.