befall

American

[bih-fawl] / bɪˈfɔl /

verb (used without object)

befell, befallen, befalling

to happen or occur.

Synonyms:

chance, materialize, betide, ensue, bechance
Archaic. to come, as by right.

verb (used with object)

befell, befallen, befalling

to happen to, especially by chance or fate.

befall British

/ bɪˈfɔːl /

verb

(intr) to take place; come to pass
(tr) to happen to
to be due, as by right

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of befall

before 900; Middle English befallen, Old English befeallan. See be-, fall (v.)

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.

That worry is the massive drop-off in proven quality at international level should any misfortune befall England captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Sanctions didn’t make life easier, he says, but they didn’t befall Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

How has she dealt with the fallow periods that befall every actor?

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

It was a tragic prophecy of what was to befall the couple's fifth child, Victoria.

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025

It would have been enough to think that even one of these dangers could befall a child.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023