befall — to happen to someone or something, especially something bad or unpleasant
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to happen to someone or something, especially something bad or unpleasant
Pronunciation (IPA): /bɪˈfɔːl/
Example Sentences
- The same fate that befell the dinosaurs might befall humanity if we don't stop climate change.
- Whatever befalls my diet plan on Friday night, at least the pizza was worth it.
- Great misfortune befell the kingdom when the Wi-Fi went down during the royal Netflix marathon.
befall
VERB[/bɪˈfɔːl/]
to happen to someone or something, especially something bad or unpleasant
Misfortune can befall even the most careful traveler on a stormy night.
When he tries to recall the past, the tragedies that befall us appall him.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Old English 'befeallan', a compound of the prefix 'be-' (completely) and 'fall' (to drop). The word originally meant 'to fall completely' or 'to happen,' and evolved to mean 'to occur' or 'to happen to someone,' particularly in the sense of an event befalling or overtaking a person.
Breakdown
be- (completely, thoroughly) + fall (to drop, to occur). The prefix intensifies the verb, transforming the literal sense of falling into a metaphorical sense of events occurring or happening.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The same fate that befell the dinosaurs might befall humanity if we don't stop climate change.”
“Whatever befalls my diet plan on Friday night, at least the pizza was worth it.”
“Great misfortune befell the kingdom when the Wi-Fi went down during the royal Netflix marathon.”
“The economic crisis that befell the country lasted for several years.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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