fitting 1 of 2

fitting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fit
1
as in befitting
archaic to be fitting or proper we hardly know them, so for Christmas a simple card will fit

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
4
5
as in accommodating
to make or have room for we can fit you in the booth if the rest of us squeeze closer together

Synonyms & Similar Words

6

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fitting differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of fitting are appropriate, apt, felicitous, fit, happy, meet, proper, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

When would appropriate be a good substitute for fitting?

While the synonyms appropriate and fitting are close in meaning, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

When is it sensible to use apt instead of fitting?

In some situations, the words apt and fitting are roughly equivalent. However, apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When might felicitous be a better fit than fitting?

The words felicitous and fitting are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

When could fit be used to replace fitting?

While in some cases nearly identical to fitting, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

Where would happy be a reasonable alternative to fitting?

The meanings of happy and fitting largely overlap; however, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

In what contexts can meet take the place of fitting?

The synonyms meet and fitting are sometimes interchangeable, but meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When is proper a more appropriate choice than fitting?

The words proper and fitting can be used in similar contexts, but proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

When can suitable be used instead of fitting?

Although the words suitable and fitting have much in common, suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fitting
Adjective
The book, incidentally, is affixed with a unique and fitting page marker. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025 That all changed at Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich, one of the titans of Europe, and a fitting stage for PSG’s crowning moment. James Robson, Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2025 Using the tee fitting wasn’t his most grievous error. Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2025 Fortunately, the show quickly remembered its roots: Season 2 found both its footing and a more fitting air date, returning in June of 2023. Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for fitting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fitting
Adjective
  • Housing advocates have cautioned that federal land is not universally suitable for affordable housing.
    Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
  • Investments in securities entail risk and are not suitable for all investors.
    Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Verb
  • The pop star dressed to the nines for the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards in a look befitting an Icon Award recipient.
    Rachel Flynn, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The Mercedes design team has covered surfaces with materials befitting a more expensive model, with special attention paid to surfaces where fingertips and arms are likely to pause.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Tampa Bay Times reviewed nearly 600 storm tracks and corresponding sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean basin over the last four decades.
    Jack Prator, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Dec. 2024
  • The January transfer window in the women’s game has many of the same complications that the corresponding window offers in the men’s one.
    Jessy Parker Humphreys, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • By adjusting the magnetic field’s strength, the robot’s flight path may be accurately controlled.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2025
  • By adjusting the rate of pellet injections and corresponding laser pulses per second, Marvel’s fusion power plant can adjust the overall energy output to market demand, according to details provided by the company.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Special artist is also preparing to take on her first lead movie role as she was recently cast as gospel star Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was one of the first to appeal to rock ‘n’ roll and R&B audiences, in Amazon MGM Studios’ Rosetta.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2025
  • As the case was preparing to go to trial, in May 2004, the parties settled.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • That being said, other iPhone 13 Pro Max users will appreciate this bag’s accommodating nature.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Known as 504 plans, the popular system for accommodating students in school are geared for kids who do qualify for help under disability plans known as IEPs, or Individualized Education Programs.
    Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Measurable: Evaluate reasoning quality by tracking consistency across different scenarios, measuring response accuracy under varying complexity levels, and assessing appropriate uncertainty expression rather than just confidence metrics.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • The authorities in California and Los Angeles were taking the appropriate actions.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 10 June 2025
Verb
  • And, coinciding with the holiday, the space station could easily double as Santa's sleigh to innocent eyes.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The study show that a major volcanic pulse occurred about 30,000 years before the impact, coinciding with at least a 5 degrees cooling of the climate.
    David Bressan, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fitting. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fitting

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!