come by
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
To obtain; to get, especially by chance or involuntarily.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
có được, đặc biệt là may mắn hoặc không tự nguyện
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
A loyal friend is hard to come by.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
To come near to; to pass; to visit.
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “come by” mean?
To obtain; to get, especially by chance or involuntarily.
Is “come by” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.