befall

[bih-fawl]

See more synonyms for befall on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), be·fell, be·fall·en, be·fall·ing.

to happen or occur.
Archaic. to come, as by right.

verb (used with object), be·fell, be·fall·en, be·fall·ing.

to happen to, especially by chance or fate.

Origin of befall

before 900; Middle English befallen, Old English befeallan. See be-, fall (v.)

Synonyms

See more synonyms for befall on Thesaurus.com

1. bechance, ensue, betide, materialize, chance.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for befell

Contemporary Examples

The pair of films that would follow—Se7en and The Game—avoided many of the pitfalls that befell Aliens3.
David Fincher’s Backseat Feminism
Teo Bugbee
October 9, 2014
You could barely be seen, like the fate that befell Brooks Wheelan back in September.
How Did Sasheer Zamata Do in Her Saturday Night Live Debut?
Kevin Fallon
January 19, 2014
He was the scapegoat for every economic failure that befell the Palestinian people.
Why Palestinians Welcomed Fayyad’s Resignation
Maysoon Zayid
April 16, 2013
She says she regularly thinks of the tragic fate that befell many of those who have come before her.
‘R&B Divas’: The TV Show That Resurrects a Genre
Allison Samuels
August 19, 2012
The whole episode sounds eerily similar to that which befell his Bully co-star, the late Brad Renfro.
The John Connor Curse: Nick Stahl, Edward Furlong and Christian Bale
Marlow Stern
May 18, 2012

Historical Examples

I cannot stop to tell you hardly any of the adventures that befell Theseus on the road to Athens.
Tanglewood Tales
Nathaniel Hawthorne
And one night it befell that he was rewarded, for the raiders attempted an entrance.
The Gentleman From Indiana
Booth Tarkington
And now we will see what befell Robin Hood in his venture as beggar.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Howard Pyle
And now let us see what befell Little John while these things were happening.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Howard Pyle
I am in no way accountable for his actions or for anything that ever befell him.
The Mystery of Murray Davenport
Robert Neilson Stephens

British Dictionary definitions for befell

befall

verb -falls, -falling, -fell or -fallen archaic, or literary

(intr) to take place; come to pass
(tr) to happen to
(intr usually foll by to) to be due, as by right

Word Origin

Old English befeallan; related to Old High German bifallan, Dutch bevallen; see be-, fall

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for befell

befall

v.

Old English befeallan "to deprive of; fall to, be assigned to; befall," from be- "by, about" + feallan (see fall). Cf. Old Frisian bifalla, Old Saxon, Old High German bifallan, German befallen. Related: Befell; befalling.

befall

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}befall

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for befell

Contemporary Examples

The pair of films that would follow—Se7en and The Game—avoided many of the pitfalls that befell Aliens3.

You could barely be seen, like the fate that befell Brooks Wheelan back in September.

He was the scapegoat for every economic failure that befell the Palestinian people.

She says she regularly thinks of the tragic fate that befell many of those who have come before her.

The whole episode sounds eerily similar to that which befell his Bully co-star, the late Brad Renfro.

Historical Examples

I cannot stop to tell you hardly any of the adventures that befell Theseus on the road to Athens.

And one night it befell that he was rewarded, for the raiders attempted an entrance.

And now we will see what befell Robin Hood in his venture as beggar.

And now let us see what befell Little John while these things were happening.

I am in no way accountable for his actions or for anything that ever befell him.

befall

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for befell

befall

v.

Origin of befall