to approach or move toward someone or something: [no object]Come a little closer.[~ + to + verb]Can't you come to see me more often?[~ + verb-ing]The tide came rushing in.
[no object] to arrive by movement or through time: The train is coming; step back.
to move into view; appear:[no object]The light comes and goes.
[not: be + ~-ing* ~ + to + object] to extend; reach: The dress comes to her knees.
to take place; occur; happen: [no object]Her trumpet solo comes in the third act.[~ + to + verb]How could such a thing come to exist?
[not: be + ~-ing* no object] to be available, be produced, be found, etc.: Toothpaste comes in a tube.
[~ + of + object] to arrive or appear as a result: This comes of carelessness.
to enter, get into, or be brought into a specified state or condition: [~ + into + object]The word multicultural has come into popular use.[~ + to + object]The war came to an abrupt halt.
[no object] to do or manage; go along or progress; fare: How are you coming with your term paper? How's it coming?
to become or seem to become a specified way:[no object]We came unglued (= overly nervous) at the thought of another exam that day.
(used as a command to call attention, or to express impatience, etc.): Come, come, can't we agree on one little point here?
Informal Terms[no object][Slang.]to have an orgasm.
come about,
to come to pass; happen: [no object]How did such a mess come about, anyway?[it + ~ + (that) clause]It came about that he had to cancel his vacation.
Naval Terms[no object] to turn a ship or boat at an angle in the wind.
come across or upon,
[~ + across/upon + object] to find or encounter, esp. by chance:Look at these photos that I came across.
Informal Terms[no object] to do what one has promised or is expected to do:He finally came across and did it.See come through below.
[no object] to be understandable or convincing: The humor doesn't come across.
Informal Terms[~ + across + as + noun/adjective] to make a particular impression: He comes across as a cold person. The teacher comes across as very cruel, but that is misleading.
come again, (used as a request to repeat a statement):I didn't hear you; come again.
come along,[no object]
to accompany a person or group:We're going to the mall; you can come along if you like.
to proceed or advance: The project is coming along on schedule.
to appear:An opportunity came along to invest in real estate.
come around or round,
[no object] Also, come to. to recover consciousness; revive:The unconscious patient finally came around.
[~ + around + to + object] to change one's opinion, etc., esp. to agree with another's:She finally came around to our point of view.
[no object] to stop being angry, etc.:She's mad and upset now, but I'm sure she'll come around.
[no object] to visit:Why don't you come around and see me some time?
come apart, [no object] to break or fall into pieces:The doll just came apart when touched.
come at,[~ + at + object]
to arrive at; reach or attain:How did he come at such a sum?
to rush at; attack:came at me with a knife.
come back,
[~ + back (+ to + object)] to return, esp. to one's memory:I remember now; it's all coming back to me.
[~ + back (+ to + object)] to return to a former position, place, or state:Do you have any idea when he'll come back?
[no object] to become fashionable or popular again:Short skirts are coming back again.
come between,[~ + between + object] to separate; get in the way of; interrupt: Nothing can come between us.
come by,[~ + by + object] to obtain; find; acquire:We never came by such good fortune again.
come down,[no object]
to fall down; collapse:The entire building came down on them.
to lose wealth, rank, etc.:The senator has really come down in the world.
[~ + down (+ to + object)] to be handed down or passed on by tradition or inheritance:This ancient song comes down to us from Norway.
[no object] to be relayed or passed along from a higher authority: Our orders will come down tomorrow.
to lead or point in a basic, important way, such as a choice or problem; be the deciding factor: [~ + down + to + object]It all comes down to a sense of pride.[~ + down + to + verb-ing]It all comes down to living or dying.
come down on or upon,[~ + down + on/upon + object] to scold or reprimand; punish:Why did you come down on her so hard?
come down with,[~ + down + with + object] to become sick from or afflicted with (an illness):She came down with the flu.
come from, [~ + from + object]
[not: be + ~-ing] to have been born in (a place); be a resident of (a place): He came from Greece.
[not: be + ~-ing] to have as a beginning or source:Pearls come from oysters.
[in negative expressions or in questions* usually: be + ~-ing + from] be a starting point in thinking or reasoning:I can't understand where he's coming from.
come in, [no object]
to enter:The door's open; come in!
to arrive:The train comes in at 6:00 p.m.
to come into use or fashion:Long skirts have come in again.
to begin to produce or yield: The oil well finally came in.
to finish in a race or competition: Our team came in fifth.
come in for,[~ + in + for + object] to receive; get; be subjected to: He's going to come in for a lot of criticism.
come into,[~ + into + object]
to acquire; get:I came into a bit of money winning a wager.
to inherit:She came into a lot of money after her cousin died.
to get to be in (a state):The president's car suddenly came into view and everyone cheered.
come off, [no object]
to happen; occur:The invasion came off just before dawn.
to reach the end; conclude:We want this project to come off without any delay.
to be effective or successful, esp. in the specified way: She didn't come off well in that interview.
Come off it, (often used as a command) to stop:Come off it; we know where you were.
come on,
[~ + on/upon + object] to meet or find unexpectedly or by accident:I just happened to come on (upon) a book in the library that has the references you need.
[no object] (of a disease) to begin to develop:I can feel a cold coming on.
[no object] to make progress; develop; flourish:Just when the challenger was coming on in the primaries, another scandal broke.
[no object] to appear on stage; make one's entrance:He came on to thunderous applause.
[no object] to begin to be shown, broadcast, etc.: The game came on at one o'clock.
Informal Terms[no object] (used as a command) to hurry; move along:Come on, before it rains!
Informal Terms[no object] (used to ask someone to do something):Come on, have dinner with us.
Slang Terms[~ + on (+ to + object)]Slang. to make sexual advances:He was coming on (to her) and she didn't know how to respond.
come out,[no object]
to appear or be seen:Suddenly the sun came out.
to be published or made known; appear:The story came out in all the papers.
to make a debut in society, etc.
to appear and be available to the public:When will this new wonder drug come out?
to end; result; emerge: The lawsuit came out badly for both sides.
to make public acknowledgment of being homosexual.
come out for (or against), [~ + out + for/against + object] to state or declare one's support for (or opposition to):The president is expected to come out for the new tax bill.
come out with,[~ + out + with + object] to reveal by stating; blurt out; say:He came out with a ridiculous remark.
come over,[~ + over + object] to happen to; affect: What's come over him?
come round,[no object]
Nautical(of a sailing vessel) to head toward the wind; come to.
to come around.
come through,
[~ + through + object] to endure difficulty, illness, etc., successfully:She came through the war safely.
[no object] to fulfill needs or meet demands:My friend will come through; he has never disappointed me before.
come to,
[no object] to recover consciousness:Stand back, he's coming to.
[~ + to + object* not: be + ~-ing] to amount to; total:The expenses came to $5,000 after deductions.
[usually: it + ~ + to + object* not: be + ~-ing] to concern:When it comes to quality this is first-rate.
Naval Terms[~ + to + object* sometimes: it + ~ + to + object] to enter or be recalled in the mind; occur to the mind or memory:Suddenly it came to me; I knew her from Paris.
come under,[~ + under + object]
to be the responsibility of: This matter comes under the State Department.
to be subjected to; be forced to suffer:came under a lot of criticism for hiring her.
[not: be + ~-ing] to be placed in a certain category of:Copying your classmate's paper comes under the heading of cheating.
come up,[no object]
to be mentioned or be referred to; arise: Your name came up in conversation.
to be presented for action or discussion: The farm bill comes up on Monday.
come up to,[~ + up + to + object]
to approach; near:She came up to the star and asked for his autograph.
to compare with as to quantity, excellence, etc.; equal:Your work just doesn't come up to our high standards.
come up with,[~ + up + with + object] to produce; supply:What new plan did you come up with?
to come, in the future:In years to come, we hope to solve these problems.
to approach or move toward a particular person or place:Come here. Don't come any closer!
to arrive by movement or in the course of progress:The train from Boston is coming.
to approach or arrive in time, in succession, etc.:Christmas comes once a year. I'll come to your question next.
to move into view; appear.
to extend; reach:The dress comes to her knees.
to take place; occur; happen:Success comes to those who strive.
to occur at a certain point, position, etc.:Tuesday comes after Monday. Her aria comes in the third act.
to be available, produced, offered, etc.:Toothpaste comes in a tube.
to occur to the mind:The idea just came to me.
to befall:They promised no harm would come to us.
to issue; emanate; be derived:Peaches come from trees. Good results do not come from careless work.
to arrive or appear as a result:This comes of carelessness.
to enter or be brought into a specified state or condition:to come into popular use.
to do or manage; fare:She's coming along well with her work.
to enter into being or existence; be born:The baby came at dawn.
to have been a resident or to be a native of (usually fol. by from):She comes from Florida.
to become:His shoes came untied.
to seem to become:His fears made the menacing statues come alive. The work will come easy with a little practice.
(used in the imperative to call attention or to express impatience, anger, remonstrance, etc.):Come, that will do!
to germinate, as grain.
[Informal.]to have an orgasm.
v.t.
British Terms[Chiefly Brit.]to do; perform; accomplish.
[Informal.]to play the part of:to come the grande dame.
come about:
to come to pass; happen.
Naval Terms[Naut.]to tack.
come across:
Also, come upon. to find or encounter, esp. by chance:I came across this picture when I was cleaning out the attic. We suddenly came upon a deer while walking in the woods.
[Informal.]to make good one's promise, as to pay a debt, do what is expected, etc.:to come across with the rent.
to be understandable or convincing:The moral of this story doesn't come across.
[Informal.]to make a particular impression; comport oneself:She comes across as a very cold person.
come again, (used as a request to repeat a statement).
come along:
to accompany someone, attend as part of a group:He didn't come along on the last trip.
to proceed, develop, or advance sufficiently or successfully:The new project was coming along quite smoothly.
to appear; emerge as a factor or possibility:Even if another job comes along this summer, I won't take it.
Idiomscome and go, to occur briefly or suddenly but never for long; appear and disappear.
come around or round:
to recover consciousness; revive.
to change one's opinion, decision, etc., esp. to agree with another's.
to visit:Come around more often.
to cease being angry, hurt, etc.
come at:
to arrive at; attain.
to rush at; attack:The watchdog came at the intruder.
come back:
to return, esp. to one's memory:It all comes back to me now.
to return to a former position or state.
to talk back; retort:to come back with a witty remark.
come between, to cause to be estranged or antagonized:Love of money came between the brothers.
come by, to obtain; acquire:How did he ever come by so much money?
come down:
to lose wealth, rank, etc.; be reduced in circumstances or status.
to be handed down by tradition or inheritance.
to be relayed or passed along from a source of higher rank or authority:The general's orders will come down tomorrow.
Slang Termsto take place; happen.
[Slang.]to lose one's euphoria, enthusiasm, or esp. the effects of a drug high.
come down on or upon:
to voice one's opposition to:She came down on increased spending and promised to cut the budget.
to reprimand; scold:He came down on me for getting to work late.
Idiomscome down on the side of, to support or favor:I want to come down on the side of truth and justice.
come down with, to become afflicted with (an illness):Many people came down with the flu this year.
come forward, to offer one's services; present oneself; volunteer:When the president called for volunteers, several members of our group came forward.
come home, [Naut.]
Naval Terms(of an anchor) to begin to drag.
Naval Terms(of an object) to move when hauled upon.
come in:
to enter.
to arrive.
to come into use or fashion.
to begin to produce or yield:The oil well finally came in.
to be among the winners:His horse came in and paid 5 to 1.
to finish in a race or any competition, as specified:Our bobsled team came in fifth.
come in for, to receive; get; be subjected to:This plan will no doubt come in for a great deal of criticism.
come into:
to acquire; get.
to inherit:He came into a large fortune at the age of 21.
come off, [Informal.]
to happen; occur.
to reach the end; acquit oneself:to come off with honors.
to be given or completed; occur; result:Her speech came off very well.
to succeed; be successful:The end of the novel just doesn't come off.
Idiomscome off it, [Informal.]to stop being wrong, foolish, or pretentious; be truthful or honest:Come off it--we know you're as poor as the rest of us.
come on:
Also, come upon.to meet or find unexpectedly.
to make progress; develop; flourish.
to appear on stage; make one's entrance.
to begin; appear:The last showing will be coming on in a few minutes.
[Informal.](used chiefly in the imperative) to hurry; begin:Come on, before it rains!
[Informal.](as an entreaty or attempt at persuasion) please:Come on, go with us to the movies.
Slang Termsto try to make an impression or have an effect; present oneself:She comes on a bit too strong for my taste.
[Slang.]to make sexual advances:a Lothario who was always coming on with the women at the office.
come on to, [Slang.]to make sexual advances to.
come out:
to be published; appear.
to become known; be revealed.
to make a debut in society, the theater, etc.
to end; terminate; emerge:The fight came out badly, as both combatants were injured.
to make more or less public acknowledgment of being homosexual.
come out for, to endorse or support publicly:The newspaper came out for the reelection of the mayor.
come out with:
to speak, esp. to confess or reveal something.
to make available to the public; bring out:The publisher is coming out with a revised edition of the textbook.
come over:
to happen to; affect:What's come over him?
to change sides or positions; change one's mind:He was initially against the plan, but he's come over now.
to visit informally:Our neighbors came over last night and we had a good chat.
come round:
See come (def. 29).
Nautical(of a sailing vessel) to head toward the wind; come to.
come through:
to endure or finish successfully.
[Informal.]to do as expected or hoped; perform; succeed:We knew you'd come through for us.
[Informal.]to experience religious conversion.
come to:
to recover consciousness.
to amount to; total.
Naval Terms[Naut.]to take the way off a vessel, as by bringing her head into the wind or anchoring.
Idiomscome to pass, to happen; occur.
come under:
to fit into a category or classification:This play comes under the heading of social criticism.
to be the province or responsibility of:This matter comes under the State Department.
come up:
to be referred to; arise:The subject kept coming up in conversation.
to be presented for action or discussion:The farm bill comes up for consideration next Monday.
come upon. See come (defs. 25a, 45a).
come up to:
to approach; near:A panhandler came up to us in the street.
to compare with as to quantity, excellence, etc.; match; equal:This piece of work does not come up to your usual standard.
come up with, to produce; supply:Can you come up with the right answer?
Idiomscome what may, no matter what may happen; regardless of any opposition, argument, or consequences:Come what may, he will not change his mind.
Slang Terms, Idiomswhere one is coming from, where the source of one's beliefs, attitudes, or feelings lies:It's hard to understand where your friend is coming from when he says such crazy things.
n.
Slang Terms(vulgar). semen.
bef. 900; Middle English comen, Old English cuman; cognate with Dutch komen, German kommen, Gothic qiman, Old Norse koma, Latin venīre (see avenue), Greek baínein (see basis), Sanskrit gácchati (he) goes
2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged leave, depart.