come on
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/
note: Southern US, Midland US
ipa: /ˌkʌm ˈɔn/
ipa: /ˌkʌm ˈɑn/
Forms: form: comes on
form: coming on
form: came on
form: come on
Senses: examples: text: Turning the corner, I came on Julia sitting by the riverbank.
synonyms: come across
glosses: To encounter, discover; to come upon.
examples: text: I think he's coming on too late after my line.
glosses: To appear on a stage or in a performance.
examples: text: I was going to turn off the TV, but my favorite show came on.
text: A salsa song came on the radio.
glosses: To be broadcast (through a device), or (of a broadcast) to begin playing.
examples: text: The new garden is coming on nicely.
text: But she looked a lady, Paul declared, as much as Mrs. Major Moreton, and far, far nicer. The family was coming on. Only Morel remained unchanged, or rather, lapsed slowly.
ref: 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Chapter 10”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:
glosses: To progress, to develop; to come along.
examples: text: The light came on as soon as I flicked the switch.
text: She pressed the power button and waited for the screen to come on.
qualifier: especially a light
glosses: To activate; to turn on.
raw_tags: of an electric or electronic device
examples: text: She started coming on to me as soon as my wife left the room.
text: Wait a minute. Are you like coming on to me? Is this a pass? Because, I mean, if it is, sex is like totally out of the question.
ref: 1988, Julie Brown, Charlie Coffey, Terrence E. McNally, Earth Girls Are Easy (motion picture), spoken by Valerie (Geena Davis):
text: And so you went with Neve / Oh yeah, and Neve was coming on
ref: 1992, “Babies”, in Jarvis Cocker (lyrics), His 'n' Hers, performed by Pulp:
synonyms: hit on
pass
proposition
glosses: To show sexual or relational interest through words or sometimes actions.
raw_tags: with to
examples: text: Overall, menstrual modernity in the form of a more efficient throwaway technology was seized on and celebrated, as was the opportunity to send your man off to the shop to get it if you came on suddenly.
ref: 2009, Jenny Diski, “Short cuts”, in London Review of Books, XXXI.20:
glosses: To get one's period, start menstruating.
examples: text: Blackburn made their third and final substitution with 25 minutes remaining, with Brett Emerton coming on for Dunn as they looked for ways to stem the Newcastle tide.
ref: 2011 February 12, Nabil Hassan, “Blackburn 0-0 Newcastle”, in BBC:
text: One of few positives from a Burnley perspective was a first appearance of the season for forward Michael Obafemi, who came on with five minutes remaining after recovering from a long-term hamstring injury
ref: 2023 November 11, Matthew Howarth, “Arsenal 3-1 Burnley”, in BBC Sport:
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: To enter the playing field.
raw_tags: of a substitute
examples: text: Don't just stand there on the doorstep. Come on in!
text: Don't leave without coming on round to see the baby.
text: You told me to come on over whenever I get the chance, and here I am!
text: Come on up to my place on the third floor.
text: Please come on home.
qualifier: by; round; over; up; down; by; round; over; up; down
glosses: Elaboration of come (in the sense of move towards the speaker or other focus), emphasising motion or progress, or conveying a nuance of familiarity or encouragement.
raw_tags: with adverbial words such as in
examples: text: He's coming on strong.
text: They came a trick on me.
glosses: To appear or seem to be a particular.
examples: text: The coke came on me quickly.
glosses: To begin to feel the effects of a drug; to start causing effects.
examples: text: He came on at the same time as me.
glosses: To join a job, hobby or other practice.
glosses: Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see come, on.
Derived terms: come on to
Related terms: word: come-on