Befalls

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To occur unexpectedly or as an event that significantly impacts a person or thing, often with adverse consequences
2. To take place in a manner that is noteworthy or significant, particularly affecting an individual with an unfortunate outcome
3. To come about to a person or thing, frequently bringing misfortune or challenge

Etymology: "Befalls" is the third-person singular present form of "befall," so it simply means "happens to" someone. The verb descends from Old English "befeallan," which combined "be-" with "feallan," meaning "to fall." The sense was originally literal and physical: to fall upon something or to fall down around it. Over time the notion of falling onto a thing shifted into the idea of an event or circumstance coming down upon a person, which is how the word is used today. The verb passed into Middle English as "bifallen" and kept the same basic pattern of "be-" plus "fall." Its roots are Germanic, shared with Old English's native vocabulary rather than borrowed from Latin or French, so it has been part of the language's everyday core for a very long time.

Synonyms: occurs, happens, befalls