Dictionary
befall
verb be·fall \bi-ˈfȯl, bē-\
of something bad or unpleasant : to happen to (someone or something)
be·fell\-ˈfel\be·fall·en\-ˈfȯ-lən\
Full Definition of BEFALL
intransitive verb
: to happen especially as if by fate
transitive verb
: to happen to <the fate that befell them>
See befall defined for English-language learners
See befall defined for kids
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First Known Use of BEFALL
13th century
Related to BEFALL
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
BEFALL Defined for Kids
befall
verb be·fall \bi-ˈfȯl\
be·fell \-ˈfel\be·fall·en \-ˈfȯ-lən\be·fall·ing
Definition of BEFALL for Kids
: to happen to <… they would not have known about the good fortune which befell us … — Scott O'Dell, Island of the Blue Dolphins>
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