follow

A2 Topic:Mind & Cognition

Also spelled followin

US /ˈfɒlə/ UK /ˈfɒləʊ/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #626

Meanings

1

verb
To go or come after someone or something.

The ducklings followed their mother around the pond.
2

verb
To do what a rule, instruction, or example tells you to do.

You must follow the safety instructions carefully.
3

verb
To understand the meaning of something.

Can you follow their argument?
4

verb
To watch someone secretly in order to know where they go.

The police had been following the suspect for weeks.
5

verb
To come after someone in a job or position.

Carter followed Ford as president.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

4 verb · to watch someone secretly... survey

5 verb · to come after someone in a... succeedcome after

Word family

Forms followedfollows

Derived forms byfdnfeasy-to-followfollow-homefollow-me-ladfollow-onfollow-throughfollow-upfollow-worthyfollowablefolloweefollower

Related forms chasefollow-the-leader

Common collocations

Etymology

From Middle English folwen, folȝen, folgen, from Old English folgian (“to follow, pursue”), from Proto-West Germanic *folgēn, from Proto-Germanic *fulgāną (“to follow”).

folwen Middle English folgian Old English *folgēn Proto-West Germanic *fulgāną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Mind & Cognition Verbs of Movement

# follow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈfɒlə
**IPA (UK):** ˈfɒləʊ
**Frequency rank:** 626

## Meanings
1. To go or come after someone or something.
2. To do what a rule, instruction, or example tells you to do.
3. To understand the meaning of something.
4. To watch someone secretly in order to know where they go.
5. To come after someone in a job or position.

## Examples
- The ducklings followed their mother around the pond.
- You must follow the safety instructions carefully.
- Can you follow their argument?
- The police had been following the suspect for weeks.
- Carter followed Ford as president.

## Derived Forms
- byf
- dnf
- easy-to-follow
- follow-home
- follow-me-lad
- follow-on
- follow-through
- follow-up
- follow-worthy
- followable
- followee
- follower

## Related Forms
- chase
- follow-the-leader

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: folwen
- Root: folgian
- Root: *folgēn
- Root: *fulgāną

## Etymology
From Middle English folwen, folȝen, folgen, from Old English folgian (“to follow, pursue”), from Proto-West Germanic *folgēn, from Proto-Germanic *fulgāną (“to follow”).

## AI Etymology
Follow comes from Middle English folwen, folȝen, folgen, from Old English folgian (“to follow, pursue”), from Proto-West Germanic *folgēn, from Proto-Germanic *fulgāną (“to follow”). In current use, the main senses are “To go or come after someone or something” and “To do what a rule, instruction, or example tells you to do”.

## Topics
- Mind & Cognition
- Verbs of Movement

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