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]

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:

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Verb	1.	befall - become of; happen to; "He promised that no harm would befall her"; "What has become of my children?" bechance, betide 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) bechance, happen 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!"

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

1. To take place:

betide, come, come about, come off, develop, hap, happen, occur, pass, transpire.

Idiom: come to pass.

2. To happen to one:

betide, come.

3. To take place by chance:

chance, hap, happen.

Translations

يَحْدُث لِ، يَقَعُ لِ

postihnoutpřihodit se

hænderamme

widerfahren zutragen

koma fyrir, henda

accadere

ištikti

atgadītiesnotikt

hende skje

başına gelmek

发生于降临

befall

[bɪˈfɔːl] (befell (pt) (befallen (pp))) (liter)

A. VT → acontecer a, suceder a

B. VI → acontecer, suceder
whatever may befall → pase 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

befall

pret <befell> ptp <befallen> (old, liter)

vi → sich zutragen

vt → widerfahren (+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] vt → accadere a

befall

(biˈfoːl) – past tense befell (biˈfel) : past participle beˈfallen – verb

to happen to (a person or thing). A disaster has befallen her.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

We think that we can shape our fate, but it is fate that shapes us, and nothing befalls except fate will it.

Such are the things that befall princes of this earth, my father.

View in context

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.

View in context

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.

View in context

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."

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"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."

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To cross thirty or one hundred seventy-five has been, as you know, the direst calamity that could befall a naval commander.

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He had warned them continuously during the long march that no harm must befall the white she who lay a prisoner within the village.

View in context

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.

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Tragedy befalls the lives of people who are victims of power, but also befalls objects that are the collateral damage of powerful people's wars.

Book Review: Sinan Antoon pays tribute to war's forgotten losses

He has, therefore, warned the house to take steps to tighten security before danger befalls them.