ensue

verb

en·​sue in-ˈsü 

en-

ensued; ensuing

transitive verb

: to strive to attain : pursue

I wander, seeking peace, and ensuing it.

—Rupert Brooke

intransitive verb

: to take place afterward or as a result

Choose the Right Synonym for ensue

follow, succeed, ensue, supervene mean to come after something or someone.

follow may apply to a coming after in time, position, or logical sequence.

speeches followed the dinner

succeed implies a coming after immediately in a sequence determined by natural order, inheritance, election, or laws of rank.

she succeeded her father as head of the business

ensue commonly suggests a logical consequence or naturally expected development.

after the talk a general discussion ensued

supervene suggests the following or beginning of something unforeseen or unpredictable.

unable to continue because of supervening circumstances

Examples of ensue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Miami has four games on its slate across the ensuing week. —Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025

Curry was fouled by Fox on the ensuing possession and calmly drained both free throws to put the Warriors ahead by one point. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 Nov. 2025

The mountain’s best terrain could be found in the snow bowls beneath the 12,500-foot Kachina Peak, and accessing them required a 45-minute hike, paid off by the ensuing splashdown through airy powder. —Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025

During the ensuing investigation, detectives learned that Hall had won approximately $1,000 at a casino the previous evening, but no large sums of money were found at the crime scene. —Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French ensivre (3rd singular ensiut), from en- + sivre to follow — more at sue

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for ensue

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

ensue

verb

en·​sue in-ˈsü 

ensued; ensuing

: to come at a later time or as a result : follow

ensuing effects