come
come
Pronunciation
/kʌm/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in its single syllable:
/k/: Voiceless velar stop
/ʌ/: Open-mid back unrounded vowel (as in "cup")
/m/: Bilabial nasal
Word Form Variations
Verb Forms:
Base Form / Infinitive: come (e.g., "to come," "I come")
Third Person Singular Present: comes (e.g., "He/she/it comes")
Past Simple: came (e.g., "I came yesterday")
Past Participle: come (e.g., "I have come," "He had come")
Present Participle / Gerund: coming (e.g., "They are coming," "Coming home is nice")
Examples of Conjugation (showing variations based on tense and person):
Present Simple: I come, you come, he/she/it comes, we come, you come, they come.
Past Simple: I came, you came, he/she/it came, we came, you came, they came.
Present Perfect: I have come, you have come, he/she/it has come, etc.
Past Perfect: I had come, you had come, he/she/it had come, etc.
Future Simple: I will come, you will come, etc.
Present Continuous: I am coming, you are coming, he/she/it is coming, etc.
Past Continuous: I was coming, you were coming, he/she/it was coming, etc.
Other related forms/uses:
Noun: While "come" is primarily a verb, the form "coming" can also function as a noun (e.g., "the coming of summer," "his coming was unexpected").
Adjective: The present participle "coming" can also be used as an adjective (e.g., "the coming storm," "an up-and-coming artist").
Phrasal Verbs: "Come" is part of many phrasal verbs, where its meaning changes when combined with prepositions or adverbs (e.g., "come across," "come up with," "come in," "come out," "come back"). These are not technically "word form variations" of "come" itself, but rather new lexical units.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
Definition 1 (Intransitive): To move towards or reach a specified place, person, or state; to arrive.
Example: "Please come to the meeting on time."
Synonyms: arrive, approach, reach, appear, materialize
Antonyms: go, leave, depart, withdraw, retreat
Definition 2 (Intransitive): To happen, occur, or take place; to develop into existence.
Example: "The opportunity will come when you least expect it."
Synonyms: happen, occur, arise, transpire, unfold
Antonyms: cease, stop, prevent, avoid, vanish
Definition 3 (Intransitive): To be available or obtainable; to be supplied or offered in a particular way.
Example: "The new phone comes in three different colors."
Synonyms: be available, be supplied, be offered, exist, feature
Antonyms: be unavailable, lack, miss, exclude
Definition 4 (Intransitive, often with 'to'): To attain a particular condition or result; to reach a point or decision.
Example: "After much discussion, they finally came to an agreement."
Synonyms: reach, achieve, attain, conclude, decide
Antonyms: fail, fall short, abandon, defer, postpone
Definition 5 (Intransitive, informal): To experience an orgasm.
Example: "He felt himself starting to come."
Synonyms: climax, orgasm, discharge, peak
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this specific meaning, as it describes a specific bodily function)
Noun (typically derived from the verb, often as "coming")
Definition 1: An instance of arriving or happening; an appearance or arrival, especially in anticipation.
Example: "We eagerly awaited the coming of the new year." (Used as "coming")
Synonyms: arrival, advent, appearance, approach, occurrence
Antonyms: departure, exit, disappearance, cessation, end
Definition 2 (Slang/Informal): An ejaculation or orgasm.
Example: "He described his first come as intense."
Synonyms: climax, orgasm, ejaculation, discharge
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; refers to the event itself)
Adjective (typically derived from the verb, as "coming")
Definition 1: Forthcoming; next in sequence or time; approaching.
Example: "The coming elections are very important."
Synonyms: approaching, forthcoming, future, next, imminent
Antonyms: past, previous, bygone, former, departed
Definition 2 (Used in phrases like "up-and-coming"): Showing promise of future success; emerging.
Example: "She is an up-and-coming artist in the local scene."
Synonyms: promising, emerging, aspiring, budding, rising
Antonyms: established, declining, failing, fading, past-peak
Examples of Use
Books
To move towards/arrive: "He knew she would come eventually, drawn by the scent of the sea, just as he was." (Fictional example, evoking a sense of longing and inevitability)
To happen/occur: "And so it was that the long winter would finally come to an end, bringing with it the promise of spring." (Fictional example, a common narrative device)
Newspapers
To happen/occur: "New regulations for small businesses are expected to come into effect next quarter." (The Daily Nation - Common in business or political reporting)
To move towards/arrive: "Thousands are set to come together for the annual charity run this weekend." (Local newspaper report, e.g., The Standard- used for anticipated gathering)
Adjective (as "coming"): "The coming storm threatens to disrupt travel across the region." (Weather report, e.g., East African Standard - indicating an approaching event)
Online Publications
To happen/occur: "Major tech companies come under scrutiny for their data privacy practices." (TechCrunch - common in news analysis)
To reach a state/decision: "After months of negotiations, the two sides have come to an agreement on the new trade deal." (Reuters.com - often used in reporting on diplomatic or business outcomes)
To be available: "The new software update will come with enhanced security features." (The Verge - typical in product announcements)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms
Music (Song Title/Lyric): "Here Comes The Sun" (The Beatles - "come" signifying arrival)
Film Dialogue: "You'll come to regret this, I promise you." (Common line in thrillers or dramas, indicating a future consequence)
TV Show Title: "How I Met Your Mother" (A humorous play on "how I came to meet your mother" - using the past tense of "come" to refer to an origin story)
Video Games (Quest Objective): "You must come to the aid of the besieged village." (Often found in role-playing games, meaning to arrive and assist)
Podcast (Host Dialogue): "Today, we're going to come back to a topic we discussed last week, but from a different angle." (Common in conversational podcasts, indicating a return to a subject)
General Public Discourse
To move towards/arrive (Invitation): "Are you able to come over for dinner tonight?" (Everyday invitation)
To happen/occur (Expression of certainty): "What will come, will come." (Proverbial saying, expressing acceptance of fate)
To reach a state/decision: "I've come to realize that patience is key." (Personal reflection, indicating a realization)
Adjective (as "coming"): "The coming generation will face unique challenges." (General commentary on societal trends)
Phrasal Verb (e.g., "come up with"): "We need to come up with a solution to this problem." (Common in problem-solving discussions)
10 Famous Quotes Using Come
"We've come a long way, baby." (Virginia Slims slogan)
"If you build it, he will come." (Terence Mann, Field of Dreams)
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." (Franklin D. Roosevelt, omitting the second "comes" for conciseness but maintaining the spirit of "come")
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger." (Friedrich Nietzsche, often paraphrased to "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," implying something you come through)
"I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat." (Winston Churchill, implying the efforts that come with the struggle)
"This, too, shall pass." (Ancient Persian proverb, implying that difficult times come and go)
"Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." (John F. Kennedy, implying the actions that come from one's own initiative)
"To be or not to be, that is the question." (William Shakespeare, Hamlet, pondering the choice that comes with existence)
"The truth will set you free." (John 8:32, Biblical verse, implying the liberation that comes with understanding truth)
"All good things must come to an end." (Proverbial saying)
Etymology
The word "come" has a long and interesting history, tracing its roots back thousands of years!
Imagine a very, very old language that's the ancestor of many European and Indian languages – we call it Proto-Indo-European. In this ancient language, there was a word something like *"gʷem-" which meant "to step" or "to go."
From there, this word evolved into Proto-Germanic, which is the ancestor of English, German, Dutch, and other Germanic languages. In Proto-Germanic, the word became "kwemaną", and it carried the meaning of "to come" or "to arrive."
Fast forward to Old English (the language spoken in England before 1066 AD), and we see the word as "cuman." This is where we get the earliest known uses of the word in English. Even then, "cuman" meant pretty much what "come" means today: "to move with the purpose of reaching, or so as to reach, some point; to arrive by movement or progression." It also already had meanings like "to appear" or "to become perceptible."
So, the core idea of moving towards something or arriving has been consistent for a very long time, evolving from a simple "step" into the "come" we use every day.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Come
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "come":
Come to think of it: To realize or remember something upon reflection.
Come what may: Whatever happens; no matter what difficulties arise.
Come to pass: To happen; to occur.
Come clean: To confess or reveal the truth.
Come around: To regain consciousness; to be persuaded to change one's mind.
Come by (something): To acquire or obtain something, often by chance.
Come into play: To become active or relevant.
Come of age: To reach maturity; to reach a stage of full development.
Come out of the woodwork: To appear unexpectedly, especially in large numbers or after being hidden.
Come to a head: To reach a crisis or a decisive point.
Come into one's own: To become fully effective, successful, or confident.
Come up with: To produce or suggest an idea, plan, or solution.
Come to grips with: To understand and deal with a difficult problem or situation.
Come hell or high water: No matter what difficulties arise.
Come to terms with: To accept and deal with a difficult situation or emotion.
Come full circle: To return to a previous state, situation, or belief after a long and often complex series of events.
Come to light: To become known or revealed.
Come a long way: To have made significant progress.
Come from behind: To win a competition after trailing.
Come through: To successfully complete or survive something difficult.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of come from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
