befall


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be·fall

 (bĭ-fôl′)
v. be·fell (-fĕl′), be·fall·en (-fô′lən), be·fall·ing, be·falls
v.intr.
To come to pass; happen: What is the worst that may befall?
v.tr.
1. Used with the impersonal subject it and a following clause to indicate the occurrence of a usually unexpected or chance event: "It befell that, an hour before the appointed time, she was sent for by a neighbor who had been taken ill" (Henry James).
2. To happen to: What befell the ship? See Synonyms at happen.

[Middle English bifallen, from Old English befeallan, to fall.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

befall

(bɪˈfɔːl)
vb, -falls, -falling, -fell or -fallen
1. (intr) to take place; come to pass
2. (tr) to happen to
3. (usually foll by: to) to be due, as by right
[Old English befeallan; related to Old High German bifallan, Dutch bevallen; see be-, fall]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

be•fall

(bɪˈfɔl)

v. -fell, -fall•en, -fall•ing. v.t.
1. to happen to, esp. by chance.
v.i.
2. to happen or occur.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English befeallan]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

befall


Past participle: befallen
Gerund: befalling

Imperative
befall
befall
Present
I befall
you befall
he/she/it befalls
we befall
you befall
they befall
Preterite
I befell
you befell
he/she/it befell
we befell
you befell
they befell
Present Continuous
I am befalling
you are befalling
he/she/it is befalling
we are befalling
you are befalling
they are befalling
Present Perfect
I have befallen
you have befallen
he/she/it has befallen
we have befallen
you have befallen
they have befallen
Past Continuous
I was befalling
you were befalling
he/she/it was befalling
we were befalling
you were befalling
they were befalling
Past Perfect
I had befallen
you had befallen
he/she/it had befallen
we had befallen
you had befallen
they had befallen
Future
I will befall
you will befall
he/she/it will befall
we will befall
you will befall
they will befall
Future Perfect
I will have befallen
you will have befallen
he/she/it will have befallen
we will have befallen
you will have befallen
they will have befallen
Future Continuous
I will be befalling
you will be befalling
he/she/it will be befalling
we will be befalling
you will be befalling
they will be befalling
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been befalling
you have been befalling
he/she/it has been befalling
we have been befalling
you have been befalling
they have been befalling
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been befalling
you will have been befalling
he/she/it will have been befalling
we will have been befalling
you will have been befalling
they will have been befalling
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been befalling
you had been befalling
he/she/it had been befalling
we had been befalling
you had been befalling
they had been befalling
Conditional
I would befall
you would befall
he/she/it would befall
we would befall
you would befall
they would befall
Past Conditional
I would have befallen
you would have befallen
he/she/it would have befallen
we would have befallen
you would have befallen
they would have befallen
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.befall - become of; happen to; "He promised that no harm would befall her"; "What has become of my children?"
hap, happen, occur, come about, take place, go on, pass off, fall out, pass - come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important"
2.befall - happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance; "It happens that today is my birthday"; "These things befell" (Santayana)
hap, happen, occur, come about, take place, go on, pass off, fall out, pass - come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important"
happen - chance to be or do something, without intention or causation; "I happen to have just what you need!"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

befall

verb (Archaic or literary) happen to, fall upon, occur in, take place in, ensue in, transpire in (informal), materialize in, come to pass in the disaster that befell the island of Flores
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

befall

verb
2. To happen to one:
3. To take place by chance:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَحْدُث لِ، يَقَعُ لِ
postihnoutpřihodit se
hænderamme
koma fyrir, henda
ištikti
atgadītiesnotikt
başına gelmek

befall

[bɪˈfɔːl] (befell (pt) (befallen (pp))) (liter)
A. VTacontecer a, suceder a
B. VIacontecer, suceder
whatever may befallpase lo que pase
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

befall

[bɪˈfɔːl] [befell] (pt) [befallen] (pp)
vi (= happen) → advenir
vt (= happen to) → advenir à
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

befall

pret <befell> ptp <befallen> (old, liter)
visich zutragen
vtwiderfahren (+dat) (geh)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

befall

[bɪˈfɔːl] (befell (pt)) [bɪˈfɛl] (befallen (pp)) [bɪˈfɔːlən] vtaccadere a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

befall

(biˈfoːl) past tense befell (biˈfel) : past participle beˈfallen verb
to happen to (a person or thing). A disaster has befallen her.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
Altho' I cannot agree with you in supposing that I shall never again be exposed to Misfortunes as unmerited as those I have already experienced, yet to avoid the imputation of Obstinacy or ill-nature, I will gratify the curiosity of your daughter; and may the fortitude with which I have suffered the many afflictions of my past Life, prove to her a useful lesson for the support of those which may befall her in her own.
I did my best to prepare myself for every emergency that could happen; I tried to arm myself beforehand against every possible accident that could befall me.
Why, thou wilt make it well-nigh impossible through not being a knight nor having any desire to be one, nor possessing the courage nor the will to avenge insults or defend thy lordship; for thou must know that in newly conquered kingdoms and provinces the minds of the inhabitants are never so quiet nor so well disposed to the new lord that there is no fear of their making some move to change matters once more, and try, as they say, what chance may do for them; so it is essential that the new possessor should have good sense to enable him to govern, and valour to attack and defend himself, whatever may befall him."
"Nay, Little John," quoth Robin, "thou art a sound stout fellow, yet thou lackest the cunning that good Stutely hath, and I would not have harm befall thee for all Nottinghamshire.
"It is much against my will," said Robin Hood, "ne'ertheless, if thou dost wish it, get thee gone, but bear thyself seemingly, Little John, for thou art mine own right-hand man and I could ill bear to have harm befall thee."
To cross thirty or one hundred seventy-five has been, as you know, the direst calamity that could befall a naval commander.
Such are the things that befall princes of this earth, my father.
We think that we can shape our fate, but it is fate that shapes us, and nothing befalls except fate will it.
He had warned them continuously during the long march that no harm must befall the white she who lay a prisoner within the village.
An anchor is forged and fashioned for faithfulness; give it ground that it can bite, and it will hold till the cable parts, and then, whatever may afterwards befall its ship, that anchor is "lost." The honest, rough piece of iron, so simple in appearance, has more parts than the human body has limbs: the ring, the stock, the crown, the flukes, the palms, the shank.
Summary: New Delhi [India], Aug 22 (ANI): CPI General Secretary D Raja on Thursday said abrogation of Article 370 was undemocratic and an assault on democracy and warned that a similar fate could befall other states.
It is just a matter of time unless its leaders learn and exit when they still have a room especially when the economy can't sustain people's demands this is what will befall them,' Jonyo said.