follow
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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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
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to imitate or copy; use as an exemplar.
They follow the latest fads.
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to move forward along (a road, path, etc.).
Follow this road for a mile.
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to come after as a result or consequence; result from.
Reprisals often follow victory.
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to go after or along with (a person) as companion.
-
to go in pursuit of.
to follow an enemy.
- Antonyms:
- flee
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to try for or attain to.
to follow an ideal.
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to engage in or be concerned with as a pursuit.
He followed the sea as his true calling.
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to watch the movements, progress, or course of.
to follow a bird in flight.
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to watch the development of or keep up with.
to follow the news.
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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.
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to keep up with and understand (an argument, story, etc.).
Do you follow me?
verb (used without object)
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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.
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to attend or serve.
-
to go or come after a person or thing in motion.
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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
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to carry out fully, as a stroke of a club in golf, a racket in tennis, etc.
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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
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to go or come after in the same direction
he followed his friend home
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(tr) to accompany; attend
she followed her sister everywhere
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to come after as a logical or natural consequence
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(tr) to keep to the course or track of
she followed the towpath
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(tr) to act in accordance with; obey
to follow instructions
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(tr) to accept the ideas or beliefs of (a previous authority, etc)
he followed Donne in most of his teachings
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to understand (an explanation, argument, etc)
the lesson was difficult to follow
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to watch closely or continuously
she followed his progress carefully
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(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
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(tr) to choose to receive messages posted by (a blogger or microblogger)
I've been following her online
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rare (tr) to earn a living at or in
to follow the Navy
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cards
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to play a card of the same suit as the card played immediately before it
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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
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has followedperfect
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am followingprogressive
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are followingprogressive
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is followingprogressive
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have been followingperfect progressive
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has been followingperfect progressive
Past
-
followedsimple
-
had followedperfect
-
was followingprogressive
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were followingprogressive
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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:
A study looking at adherence to the Mediterranean diet among U.S. college students found that those with more financial security were better able to follow the Mediterranean diet than those with more financial constraints.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
Set in Hawaii, “Ghost Market” will follow a young content creator named Kyle who encounters hungry ghosts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
The prevalence of dating apps and our ability to follow someone else’s every move on social media have zapped the honeymoon period’s lifespan.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
They follow teams from different countries or leagues not for the badge on the front, but because of the name on the back.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
I follow my classmates off the stage, out of the auditorium, and into the gym, where a reception’s all set up.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Part of Ferrell’s man-child trilogy with Adam McKay, the film follows a blowhard racecar driver as he works his way back to the winner’s circle following a dramatic and embarrassing wreck.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
How can a black boy be fearless in America, Bernadette asks, and answers: What follows for John is a warped upbringing of parental favoritism mixed with cruelly rigorous training.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
While European liquidity broadly follows American trends, there is one sphere in which the liquidity cycle differs markedly: China, which is also travelling in the opposite direction, according to Howell.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Sentencing Act 2026 follows a review led by former justice secretary David Gauke, which recommended an earned release scheme for prisoners to ease overcrowding.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
He follows that up with a heaping plate of biryani, all while keeping up with the game, having a conversation with his parents, and making jokes.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
He made sure cameras followed him to his father’s favorite Rio bakery Saturday where he tucked into his father’s signature sweet treat of bread slathered with condensed milk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Conducted from 1979 through the 2000s, the project followed more than 5,000 people to better understand why certain ethnic populations experience higher health risks.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
His father followed the money south in the 1950s and stayed there, but George H.W.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
It is expected to reach Felixstowe in the United Kingdom on September 7, followed by stops in Hamburg, Germany and Gdynia, Poland later that week, according to a timetable published by Sea Legend.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
The noise was followed by feedback before the mic settled down.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The top US military commander in the Middle East has said mental health is a "priority" on the warship USS Lincoln, following reports of difficult conditions on board the long-deployed ship.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
After only officially dating for two days following Rodriguez’s tournament, Schalk invited Rodriguez to Kauai, Hawaii, in January.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Part of Ferrell’s man-child trilogy with Adam McKay, the film follows a blowhard racecar driver as he works his way back to the winner’s circle following a dramatic and embarrassing wreck.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The Lecky Road was closed for a time following the initial removal of the materials, with police saying some items had been set on fire on the road.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
“And stop following me! Just leave me alone, Mavis.”
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
