Befell Meaning in English
word · lemma: befall
bɪˈfɛɫ
bih-FEL
bɪfˈɛl
bih-FEL
Definition
To happen, especially something bad or unfortunate, usually used in a literary or old-fashioned context.
Usage & Nuances
'Befall' is formal and somewhat old-fashioned, mostly found in written or literary English. It is almost always used for negative or dramatic events. Common in passive: 'tragedy befell the city.' Rarely used in modern everyday speech.
Spanish: sobrevenir - sucederPortuguese (BR): sobrevir - acontecerPortuguese (PT): sobrevir - acontecerChinese (Simplified): 发生（不幸的事） - 降临Chinese (Traditional): 發生（不幸的事） - 降臨Hindi: घटित होना - होनाArabic: حدث - وقعBengali: ঘটা - ঘটেছে (বিশেষত খারাপ কিছু)Russian: произойти - случиться (с чем-то плохим)Japanese: 降りかかる - 起こる（悪いことに使う）Vietnamese: xảy ra (thường là điều xấu)Korean: 닥치다 - 일어나다 (주로 안 좋은 일에 사용)Turkish: başına gelmek (kötü bir olay için)Urdu: پیش آنا (خاص طور پر کچھ برا)Indonesian: menimpa - terjadi (khususnya sesuatu yang buruk)
Example Sentences
Great sadness befell the family after the accident.
basic
No one knows what befell the missing explorers.
basic
A strange event befell the village that night.
basic
No one could have predicted what befell the peaceful town.
natural
They still talk about the tragedy that befell the area years ago.
natural
Whatever befell him must have been truly unusual.
natural