come
kuhm
Come (verb) means to move toward the speaker, a particular place, or a point of reference. Example: “Come here and look at this.”
verb
1
To move toward the speaker, a particular place, or a point of reference.
"Come here and look at this."
"The train comes every fifteen minutes."
"Will you come to my house after school today?"
2
To arrive or take place.
"Winter comes early in the mountains."
"Spring has come at last, and the gardens are full of blossom."
"Her birthday comes around quickly every year."
3
To reach a particular state, condition, or result.
"Her dream finally came true after years of effort."
"It all comes down to timing."
4
To originate from a particular place, background, or source.
"He comes from a small town in Wales."
"These apples come from a farm near our village."
"Does your family come from the north of England?"
5
To have an orgasm.
"The scene was cut for being too explicit."
How to use come
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishOne of the most basic verbs in English, covering movement toward something, arrival, origin, and reaching a state or result.
Common mistake
Past tense is "came," not "comed"; past participle is "come" ("she has come"), not "came."
Common pairings
come from
come true
come across
come down to
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- comes
- Past tense
- came, comen, comed
- Archaic forms
- comest, camest, camedst, comedst, cometh
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ here and look at this.
Etymology
From Old English cuman, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to come," ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to step" or "to arrive." Distantly related to Latin venio ("to come").
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for come
See all rhymes for come →Frequently asked questions
What does “come” mean?
The word “come” means to move toward the speaker, a particular place, or a point of reference. In plain terms, one of the most basic verbs in English, covering movement toward something, arrival, origin, and reaching a state or result.
How do you pronounce “come”?
“Come” is pronounced kuhm (/kʌm/ in IPA).
How do you use “come” in a sentence?
Here is “come” used in a sentence: “Come here and look at this.”
What is the opposite of “come”?
The opposite of “come” — its antonyms — are leave, go, depart, exit and withdraw.
What part of speech is “come”?
“Come” is a verb.
Where does the word “come” come from?
The word “come” comes from Latin. From Old English cuman, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to come," ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to step" or "to arrive." Distantly related to Latin venio ("to come").
Is “come” a common word?
“Come” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “come” have?
“Come” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to move toward the speaker, a particular place, or a point of reference.
What is the difference between come and go?
The two describe opposite directions relative to a reference point. 'Come' means to move toward the speaker or the place being talked about — 'come here.' 'Go' means to move away from it — 'go there.' If you're heading toward where I am, you come; if you're heading away, you go.
What is the past tense of come?
'Come' is irregular. Its simple past tense is 'came' — 'she came yesterday.' Its past participle, used with 'have,' returns to 'come' — 'she has come back.' So you say 'I came' for the plain past, but 'I have come' when forming the perfect tense with a helping verb.
What is an example of 'come' in a sentence?
You might say, 'Please come to my house at six,' or 'The bus is coming now.' In both, something moves toward the speaker or an agreed place. 'Come' also works figuratively — 'winter has come' or 'the idea came to me' — showing arrival in time or thought rather than space.
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