befall
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to happen or occur.
- Synonyms:
- chance, materialize, betide, ensue, bechance
-
Archaic. to come, as by right.
verb (used with object)
verb
-
(intr) to take place; come to pass
-
(tr) to happen to
-
to be due, as by right
Etymology
Origin of befall
before 900; Middle English befallen, Old English befeallan. See be-, fall (v.)
Explanation
Befall is an old-fashioned or literary way of saying something happened by chance. Bad luck befalls a heroine who drops her lucky rabbit foot. When something befalls you, it’s like bad luck falling on you. An earthquake can befall a city. A terrible disease could befall a child. A bolt of lightning could befall a very unlucky person. When something befalls you, you’re in trouble. Tragedies befall families in many of Shakespeare’s plays — that’s what makes them so much fun.
Vocabulary lists containing befall
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
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ACT Vocabulary List
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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.
Jo's brother Jimmy said he "never imagined such a profound tragedy would ever befall our family".
From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025
In the wake of 9/11, when many feared and no one knew what might befall us, he helped harden the country and prevent attacks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025
It’s not the first calamity to befall the family in the West Bank.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2025
It was a tragic prophecy of what was to befall the couple's fifth child, Victoria.
From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025
She happened to be an orphan, and I figured that if this much could befall an orphan, imagine how impressive I would look in such a role.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
