follow
♦♦♦ fol|low /f'ɒloʊ/ (follows following followed)
1 [VERB] V n prep/adv, V n, V, also V after n
If you follow someone who is going somewhere, you move along behind them because you want to go to the same place.
We followed him up the steps into a large hall...
Please follow me, madam...
They took him into a small room and I followed.
2 [VERB] V n, V n
If you follow someone who is going somewhere, you move along behind them without their knowledge, in order to catch them or find out where they are going.
She realized that the Mercedes was following her...
I think we're being followed.
= trail
3 [VERB] V n to n
If you follow someone to a place where they have recently gone and where they are now, you go to join them there.
He followed Janice to New York, where she was preparing an exhibition.
4 [VERB] V n, V, V-ed
An event, activity, or period of time that follows a particular thing happens or comes after that thing, at a later time.
...the rioting and looting that followed the verdict...
Other problems may follow...
Eyewitnesses spoke of a noise followed by a huge red light.
5 [VERB] V n with n
If you follow one thing with another, you do or say the second thing after you have done or said the first thing.
Her first major role was in Martin Scorsese's `Goodfellas' and she followed this with a part in Spike Lee's `Jungle Fever'.
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P with n, also V P n (not pron) with n
Follow up means the same as follow.
The book proved such a success that the authors followed it up with `The Messianic Legacy'.
6 [VERB] it V that, V, V from n
If it follows that a particular thing is the case, that thing is a logical result of something else being true or being the case.
Just because a bird does not breed one year, it does not follow that it will fail the next...
If the explanation is right, two things follow...
It is easy to see the conclusions described in the text follow from this equation.
7 [VERB] V, there V n, be V-ed by n
If you refer to the words that follow or followed, you are referring to the words that come next or came next in a piece of writing or speech.
What follows is an eye-witness account...
There followed a list of places where Hans intended to visit...
General analysis is followed by five case studies.
8 [VERB] V n, V n prep/adv
If you follow a path, route, or set of signs, you go somewhere using the path, route, or signs to direct you.
If they followed the road, they would be certain to reach a village...
I followed the signs to Metrocity.
9 [VERB] V n
If something such as a path or river follows a particular route or line, it goes along that route or line.
Our route follows the Pacific coast through densely populated neighbourhoods...
10 [VERB] V n
If you follow something with your eyes, or if your eyes follow it, you watch it as it moves or you look along its route or course.
Ann's eyes followed a police car as it drove slowly past.
11 [VERB] V n
Something that follows a particular course of development happens or develops in that way.
His release turned out to follow the pattern set by that of the other six hostages.
12 [VERB] V n
If you follow advice, an instruction, or a recipe, you act or do something in the way that it indicates.
Take care to follow the instructions carefully...
13 [VERB] V n, V
If you follow what someone else has done, you do it too because you think it is a good thing or because you want to copy them.
His admiration for the athlete did not extend to the point where he would follow his example in taking drugs...
Where eastern Germany goes the rest will surely follow.
14 [VERB] V n, V n into n
If you follow someone in what you do, you do the same thing or job as they did previously.
He followed his father and became a surgeon...
Anni-Frid's son has followed her into the music business.
15 [VERB] V n, V
If you are able to follow something such as an explanation or the story of a film, you understand it as it continues and develops.
Can you follow the plot so far?...
I'm afraid I don't follow.
= understand
16 [VERB] V n, V n
If you follow something, you take an interest in it and keep informed about what happens.
...the millions of people who follow football because they genuinely love it...
She was following Laura's progress closely.
17 [VERB] V n
If you follow a particular religion or political belief, you have that religion or belief.
`Do you follow any particular religion?'--`Yes, we're all Hindus.'
18
see also following
19 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
You use as follows in writing or speech to introduce something such as a list, description, or explanation.
The winners are as follows: E. Walker; R. Foster; R. Gates; A. Mackintosh...
This can be done if you proceed as follows.
20 [PHRASE] PHR n
You use followed by to say what comes after something else in a list or ordered set of things.
Potatoes are still the most popular food, followed by white bread.
21 [PHRASE] n PHR
After mentioning one course of a meal, you can mention the next course by saying what you will have to follow or what there will be to follow.
He decided on roast chicken and vegetables, with apple pie to follow.
22
to follow in someone's footsteps: see footstep
to follow your nose: see nose
to follow suit: see suitfollow through
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P, V P with n/-ing, also V P, V P on n
If you follow through an action, plan, or idea or follow through with it, you continue doing or thinking about it until you have done everything possible.
The leadership has been unwilling to follow through the implications of these ideas...
I was trained to be an actress but I didn't follow it through...
He decided to follow through with his original plan.
= pursuefollow up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you follow up something that has been said, suggested, or discovered, you try to find out more about it or take action about it.
State security police are following up several leads...
An officer took a statement from me, but no one's bothered to follow it up.
see also follow 5, follow-up
= investigate
1 [VERB] V n prep/adv, V n, V, also V after n
If you follow someone who is going somewhere, you move along behind them because you want to go to the same place.
We followed him up the steps into a large hall...
Please follow me, madam...
They took him into a small room and I followed.
2 [VERB] V n, V n
If you follow someone who is going somewhere, you move along behind them without their knowledge, in order to catch them or find out where they are going.
She realized that the Mercedes was following her...
I think we're being followed.
= trail
3 [VERB] V n to n
If you follow someone to a place where they have recently gone and where they are now, you go to join them there.
He followed Janice to New York, where she was preparing an exhibition.
4 [VERB] V n, V, V-ed
An event, activity, or period of time that follows a particular thing happens or comes after that thing, at a later time.
...the rioting and looting that followed the verdict...
Other problems may follow...
Eyewitnesses spoke of a noise followed by a huge red light.
5 [VERB] V n with n
If you follow one thing with another, you do or say the second thing after you have done or said the first thing.
Her first major role was in Martin Scorsese's `Goodfellas' and she followed this with a part in Spike Lee's `Jungle Fever'.
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P with n, also V P n (not pron) with n
Follow up means the same as follow.
The book proved such a success that the authors followed it up with `The Messianic Legacy'.
6 [VERB] it V that, V, V from n
If it follows that a particular thing is the case, that thing is a logical result of something else being true or being the case.
Just because a bird does not breed one year, it does not follow that it will fail the next...
If the explanation is right, two things follow...
It is easy to see the conclusions described in the text follow from this equation.
7 [VERB] V, there V n, be V-ed by n
If you refer to the words that follow or followed, you are referring to the words that come next or came next in a piece of writing or speech.
What follows is an eye-witness account...
There followed a list of places where Hans intended to visit...
General analysis is followed by five case studies.
8 [VERB] V n, V n prep/adv
If you follow a path, route, or set of signs, you go somewhere using the path, route, or signs to direct you.
If they followed the road, they would be certain to reach a village...
I followed the signs to Metrocity.
9 [VERB] V n
If something such as a path or river follows a particular route or line, it goes along that route or line.
Our route follows the Pacific coast through densely populated neighbourhoods...
10 [VERB] V n
If you follow something with your eyes, or if your eyes follow it, you watch it as it moves or you look along its route or course.
Ann's eyes followed a police car as it drove slowly past.
11 [VERB] V n
Something that follows a particular course of development happens or develops in that way.
His release turned out to follow the pattern set by that of the other six hostages.
12 [VERB] V n
If you follow advice, an instruction, or a recipe, you act or do something in the way that it indicates.
Take care to follow the instructions carefully...
13 [VERB] V n, V
If you follow what someone else has done, you do it too because you think it is a good thing or because you want to copy them.
His admiration for the athlete did not extend to the point where he would follow his example in taking drugs...
Where eastern Germany goes the rest will surely follow.
14 [VERB] V n, V n into n
If you follow someone in what you do, you do the same thing or job as they did previously.
He followed his father and became a surgeon...
Anni-Frid's son has followed her into the music business.
15 [VERB] V n, V
If you are able to follow something such as an explanation or the story of a film, you understand it as it continues and develops.
Can you follow the plot so far?...
I'm afraid I don't follow.
= understand
16 [VERB] V n, V n
If you follow something, you take an interest in it and keep informed about what happens.
...the millions of people who follow football because they genuinely love it...
She was following Laura's progress closely.
17 [VERB] V n
If you follow a particular religion or political belief, you have that religion or belief.
`Do you follow any particular religion?'--`Yes, we're all Hindus.'
18
see also following
19 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
You use as follows in writing or speech to introduce something such as a list, description, or explanation.
The winners are as follows: E. Walker; R. Foster; R. Gates; A. Mackintosh...
This can be done if you proceed as follows.
20 [PHRASE] PHR n
You use followed by to say what comes after something else in a list or ordered set of things.
Potatoes are still the most popular food, followed by white bread.
21 [PHRASE] n PHR
After mentioning one course of a meal, you can mention the next course by saying what you will have to follow or what there will be to follow.
He decided on roast chicken and vegetables, with apple pie to follow.
22
to follow in someone's footsteps: see footstep
to follow your nose: see nose
to follow suit: see suitfollow through
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P, V P with n/-ing, also V P, V P on n
If you follow through an action, plan, or idea or follow through with it, you continue doing or thinking about it until you have done everything possible.
The leadership has been unwilling to follow through the implications of these ideas...
I was trained to be an actress but I didn't follow it through...
He decided to follow through with his original plan.
= pursuefollow up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you follow up something that has been said, suggested, or discovered, you try to find out more about it or take action about it.
State security police are following up several leads...
An officer took a statement from me, but no one's bothered to follow it up.
see also follow 5, follow-up
= investigate