What does befall mean?
"Befall" is a verb meaning that something happens to someone, used almost exclusively for events that are unfortunate, grave, or fateful — disasters, tragedies, misfortunes, and the like. One says that disaster befell a city, that a terrible fate befell a character, or asks what might befall those who undertake a perilous journey. The verb is formal and literary in tone, lending a weighty, slightly archaic flavor to prose, which makes it a favorite of novelists, historians, and journalists writing about catastrophe. Grammatically, it behaves like "happen," taking the person or thing affected as its direct object: "misfortune befell the family." Its past tense is "befell" and its past participle is "befallen." Derived from Old English roots meaning simply to fall upon someone, the word's enduring association with doom and destiny gives it dramatic force. Though uncommon in everyday speech, knowing it allows readers to navigate classic literature and elevated writing with ease, and lets writers add gravity and menace where plainer verbs would fall flat.
verb(of something bad or unpleasant) to happen to someone.
- (of something, especially something undesirable) to happen to someone.
"She was determined to make the most of whatever might befall her on the journey."
"A terrible fate befell the crew when their ship was caught in the storm."
"Whatever may befall us, we will face it together."
"Befall" almost never announces good news — English speakers reach for it when disaster strikes, a bias it has carried since the days of Beowulf.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of befall
"Befall" comes from Old English, formed by combining the prefix "be-" with the verb "fallan" (to fall), so its original sense was literally to fall upon someone — as misfortune does. It has been part of the language since the earliest recorded English, appearing in Old and Middle English texts, and it retains close kinship with the plain verb "fall" and related forms such as "fell" and "downfall." Germanic in origin, it belongs to the same family of words as German "fallen."
Related word forms
How befall is actually used
"Befall" is formal and literary in register, and it carries a strongly negative connotation — it is typically used for misfortunes, calamities, or fates rather than pleasant events. It is common in literature, journalism about disasters, and solemn or archaic-sounding prose, but rare in casual conversation. The verb takes the affected person as its object: "misfortune befell him."
Easily confused with befall
"Before" relates to time or position earlier than something, while "befall" means an event happening to someone.