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befall Definition

be·fall (bē fôl′, bi-)

intransitive verb -·fell′, -·fall′en, -·fall′·ing

  1. to come to pass; happen; occur
  2. Archaic to be fitting; pertain

Etymology: ME bifallen < OE befeallan, to fall, fall to as a share or right < be-, be- + feallan, fall

transitive verb

to happen to what befell them?

befall Synonyms

befall

v.

happen, occur, take place, come to pass; see happen 2.

befall Usage Examples

Object

  • earth: The Moon people, earth colonists on the moon prior to whatever disaster had befallen earth, have found a way to return.
  • anyone: Accident, illness and hard times can befall anyone, of any age, at any time.
  • city: Following the recent tragedy in Madrid fears have been growing over a similar fate befalling the capital city.
  • person: A few years later, the bottles were moved again only for the same fate to befall the person concerned.
  • country: This was the true, historic significance of the Iraq war; beyond the disaster that befell that country.

Adjective complement

Modifying Another Word

  • ever: Fender: What's the most disastrous onstage incident that's ever befallen you?
  • there: And then one day there befell Jurgis the one adventure of his life.
  • now: All this was a great success but a very familiar story now befell Exeter's trade.
  • also: Disaster has also befallen many a golfer at this hole.
  • not: Substance does not reside in Him and the quality of substance do not befall Him.
  • never: Martin Sheets, a Terre Haute resident, wanted to make sure that mishap never befell him.