befall

be·fall

verb \bi-ˈfȯl, bē-\

be·fell\-ˈfel\ be·fall·en\-ˈfȯ-lən\

Definition of BEFALL

intransitive verb

: to happen especially as if by fate

transitive verb

: to happen to <the fate that befell them>

Examples of BEFALL

1. It's sad to think of the unhappy fate that befell him.
2. The drought was only one of many hardships to befall the small country.

First Known Use of BEFALL

13th century

Related to BEFALL

Synonyms

be, happen, betide, chance, come, come about, come down, come off, cook, do, go down [slang], go on, hap, occur, pass, transpire

Related Words

break, develop, rise, shape (up); arise, come up, crop (up), materialize, spring (up); intervene; fall out, follow, result, turn out; go off, proceed

Rhymes with BEFALL

ALGOL, and all, Antall, appall, Argall, argol, air ball, ashfall, at all, atoll, AWOL, baseball, beach ball, beanball, Bengal, best-ball, birdcall, blackball, Bokmål, bookstall, box stall, bradawl, brick wall, broomball, catcall, catchall, cell wall, COBOL, cold call, cornball, Cornwall, crown gall, cue ball, cure-all, curveball, deadfall, de Gaulle, dodgeball, downfall, downhaul, drywall, duck call, eight ball, enthrall, eyeball, fair ball, fastball, fireball, fire wall, foosball, football, footfall, footwall, forestall, forkball, foul ball, four-ball, fourth wall, free-fall, gadwall, game ball, glycol, golf ball, Goodall, goofball, googol, guildhall, hair ball, handball, hardball, headstall, heelball, highball, holdall, house call, icefall, infall, install, John Paul, jump ball, keelhaul, know-all, landfall, Landsmål, line-haul, line squall, lowball, Maillol, meatball, menthol, mess hall, miscall, mothball, Naipaul, naphthol, Nepal, nightfall, nutgall, oddball, outfall, outhaul, paintball, pinball, pitfall, plimsoll, pratfall, prayer shawl, pub crawl, puffball, punchball, pushball, rainfall, rainsquall, recall, rial, Riksmål, rockfall, roll call, rorqual, Saint Paul, save-all, screwball, seawall, short-haul, shortfall, sick call, sidewall, sleazeball, slimeball, snowball, snowfall, softball, sour ball, speedball, spitball, stickball, stonewall, stone wall, stoopball, strip mall, T-ball, tea ball, tell-all, three-ball, toll call, town hall, trackball, Tyrol, Udall, Walsall, what all, whip stall, Whitehall, whitewall, windfall, windgall, withal, you-all