follow
Americanverb (used with object)
-
follows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
followed,
past participle, past
-
following
present participle
-
to come after in sequence, order of time, etc..
The speech follows the dinner.
- Antonyms:
- precede
-
to go or come after; move behind in the same direction.
Drive ahead, and I'll follow you.
- Antonyms:
- lead
-
to accept as a guide or leader; accept the authority of or give allegiance to.
Many Germans followed Hitler.
- Synonyms:
- obey
- Antonyms:
- lead
-
to conform to, comply with, or act in accordance with; obey.
to follow orders; to follow advice.
- Antonyms:
- disregard
-
to imitate or copy; use as an exemplar.
They follow the latest fads.
-
to move forward along (a road, path, etc.).
Follow this road for a mile.
-
to come after as a result or consequence; result from.
Reprisals often follow victory.
-
to go after or along with (a person) as companion.
-
to go in pursuit of.
to follow an enemy.
- Antonyms:
- flee
-
to try for or attain to.
to follow an ideal.
-
to engage in or be concerned with as a pursuit.
He followed the sea as his true calling.
-
to watch the movements, progress, or course of.
to follow a bird in flight.
-
to watch the development of or keep up with.
to follow the news.
-
Digital Technology. to indicate interest in and establish a connection with (a social media account) so as to keep up with the online content it publishes, as posts, images, or videos.
I follow my friends and some celebrities on Twitter, but nobody who tweets political stuff.
-
to keep up with and understand (an argument, story, etc.).
Do you follow me?
verb (used without object)
-
follows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
followed,
past participle, past
-
following
present participle
-
to come next after something else in sequence, order of time, etc.
-
to happen or occur after something else; come next as an event.
After the defeat great disorder followed.
-
to attend or serve.
-
to go or come after a person or thing in motion.
-
to result as an effect; occur as a consequence.
It follows then that he must be innocent.
noun
-
the act of following.
-
Digital Technology. an instance of following or subscribing to online content published by a social media account.
Using hashtags is one way to get more follows on Instagram.
-
Billiards, Pool. follow shot.
adjective
verb phrase
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follow through
-
to carry out fully, as a stroke of a club in golf, a racket in tennis, etc.
-
to continue an effort, plan, proposal, policy, etc., to its completion.
-
-
follow up
-
to pursue closely and tenaciously.
-
to increase the effectiveness of by further action or repetition.
-
to pursue to a solution or conclusion.
-
-
follow out to carry to a conclusion; execute.
They followed out their orders to the letter.
idioms
verb
-
to go or come after in the same direction
he followed his friend home
-
(tr) to accompany; attend
she followed her sister everywhere
-
to come after as a logical or natural consequence
-
(tr) to keep to the course or track of
she followed the towpath
-
(tr) to act in accordance with; obey
to follow instructions
-
(tr) to accept the ideas or beliefs of (a previous authority, etc)
he followed Donne in most of his teachings
-
to understand (an explanation, argument, etc)
the lesson was difficult to follow
-
to watch closely or continuously
she followed his progress carefully
-
(tr) to have a keen interest in
to follow athletics
-
(tr) to help in the cause of or accept the leadership of
the men who followed Napoleon
-
(tr) to choose to receive messages posted by (a blogger or microblogger)
I've been following her online
-
rare (tr) to earn a living at or in
to follow the Navy
-
cards
-
to play a card of the same suit as the card played immediately before it
-
to do the same as someone else
-
noun
Synonym Usage
Follow, ensue, result, succeed imply coming after something else, in a natural sequence. Follow is the general word: We must wait to see what follows. A detailed account follows. Ensue implies a logical sequence, what might be expected normally to come after a given act, cause, etc.: When the power lines were cut, a paralysis of transportation ensued. Result emphasizes the connection between a cause or event and its effect, consequence, or outcome: The accident resulted in injuries to those involved. Succeed implies coming after in time, particularly coming into a title, office, etc.: Formerly the oldest son succeeded to his father's title.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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followsimple
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followssimple
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have followedperfect
-
has followedperfect
-
am followingprogressive
-
are followingprogressive
-
is followingprogressive
-
have been followingperfect progressive
-
has been followingperfect progressive
Past
-
followedsimple
-
had followedperfect
-
was followingprogressive
-
were followingprogressive
-
had been followingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of follow
First recorded before 900; Middle English fol(o)wen, Old English folgian; cognate with Old Saxon folgōn, Old High German folgēn, folgōn ( German folgen )
Explanation
Do you know when orange is the new black? When pleats are in style? Then you must follow fashion — you observe it closely. Follow can also mean you trail along behind someone. You might follow your brother to school. If you follow something, such as line of argument, that means you understand it. If you follow through on something, such as a diet, that means you stick to it. Follow can also describe a sequence of events. Your election as class president might follow a scandal involving your opponent. Follow can also mean something is a logical consequence of something else. It follows that having read these examples you now understand the various meanings of follow. You follow me?
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Instead of relying entirely on clinical studies that follow participants for decades, scientists might eventually use validated biological age measurements to identify promising treatments much earlier.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2026
Their trading tended to follow public signals rather than anticipate price changes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
But you need to follow him and I think that's something Manchester United need - a big character, everyone in the same direction, following the plan and if not, no problem, you can go.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
Significant restocking needs to follow massive inventory draws from storage, which could “absorb” some of the anticipated supply surplus, said Babin.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 13, 2026
“Why does Dot still follow him around if he did that?”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
"It's about sending information from the brain down to our foot and ankle to ground us and build a good foundation for any exercise training that follows," she says.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
The latest installment is Peacock’s streaming series “Crystal Lake,” a prequel that follows Jason’s mother, Pamela Voorhees, played by Linda Cardellini.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026
The widely read story, and the installment that follows, raise questions, eyebrows and hackles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
"It follows that piecemeal horse-trading is in; a grand bargain is out."
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026
I have that terrible thought, and another quickly follows.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Saturday’s performance—58 miserable minutes followed by two spectacular ones—was a perfect summary of what the Arch Manning experience has become.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2026
The scans followed people at different stages of Alzheimer's disease over time, including individuals without symptoms, those experiencing cognitive impairment, and patients who ultimately died from the disease.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 15, 2026
Posters describing nine "employability principles" - including resilience and problem-solving - are proudly displayed and followed in every lesson.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2026
Dozens of CHP lawmakers followed him, transforming his new party into the main opposition.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2026
With his good hand he touched his clan-tattoos, tracing the pair of fine dotted lines that followed each cheekbone.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
He also contended that the state’s home insurance crisis is easing following reforms last year, including allowing insurers to charge policyholders for reinsurance costs, with some carriers starting to write new policies again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2026
Megaspeed says it takes compliance seriously and is committed to following U.S. law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2026
In the first game of the day, Crenshaw defeated South Gate 7-0 in the Division IV final, and in the following Division III final, Sotomayor scored late in the fourth quarter to edge Santee 6-0.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2026
Gavin and Stacey star Jones shared her sheer delight in an Instagram video, with the actor looked visibly stunned following the incredible win over New Zealand.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2026
Often I nearly get lost by going up rivers that aren’t there, following lights that do not exist.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
