4 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

befall

verb

1: become of; happen to; "He promised that no harm would befall her"; "What has become of my children?" [syn: {bechance}, {betide}]

2: 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) [syn: {happen}, {bechance}] [also: {befell}, {befallen}]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Befall \Be*fall"\, verb (used with an object) [imp. {Befell}; p. p. {Befallen}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Befalling}.] [AS. befeallan; pref. be- + feallan to fall.] To happen to.

I beseech your grace that I may know The worst that may befall me. --Shak.

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Befall \Be*fall"\, verb (used without an object) To come to pass; to happen.

I have revealed . . . the discord which befell. --Milton.

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

32 Moby Thesaurus words for "befall": be found, be met with, be realized, bechance, betide, break, chance, come, come about, come along, come down, come off, come to pass, come true, develop, eventuate, fall, fall out, go, go off, hap, happen, happen along, happen by chance, hazard, occur, pass, pass off, pop up, take place, transpire, turn up

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