- follow
- fol|low [ `falou ] verb ***▸ 1 walk/drive behind someone▸ 2 happen after something else▸ 3 watch/listen carefully▸ 4 obey order/advice▸ 5 go along river/road etc.▸ 6 watch progress▸ 7 understand something difficult▸ 8 do same as someone else▸ 9 do job or spend life▸ 10 believe in religion etc.▸ 11 happen in a pattern▸ 12 when something must be true▸ 13 about book/movie etc.▸ + PHRASES1. ) intransitive or transitive to walk, drive, etc. behind someone, when you are going in the same direction as them:Ralph set off down the hill, and I followed.follow someone up/down/to/through/into etc.: Jim opened the door and followed me down the hall.a ) transitive to walk, drive, etc. closely behind someone in order to watch them:I felt sure that someone was following me.I think we're being followed.2. ) intransitive or transitive to happen or come after something else:The six o'clock news follows shortly.the days/weeks/years etc. that followed: In the weeks that followed the situation was very tense.be followed by something: The wedding will be followed by a reception.We had soup followed by lasagna and salad.to follow (=available to be eaten next): There's apple pie and ice cream to follow.there follows something: There followed seven months of hard negotiations.a ) to happen as a direct result of something else:Wild celebrations followed the announcement.They were warned that if the rebels did not surrender, severe reprisals would follow.b ) transitive if you follow one thing with another, you do the second after you have done the first:She followed the success of her first book with another remarkable novel.3. ) transitive to watch where someone or something is going:His eyes followed the car to the end of the driveway.a ) to listen carefully to what someone is saying:He followed every word of the trial.4. ) transitive to obey an order or do what someone has advised you to do:You must follow a few simple guidelines.follow someone's advice/suggestion: She refused to follow our advice.follow directions/instructions/orders/rules: The manufacturer's instructions should always be followed carefully.a ) transitive to go where signs and directions tell you to go:We followed Joe's directions and found the house easily.Follow the signs for Lancaster.5. ) transitive to go along a road, river, etc. in the same direction as it does:Follow the road down the hill into an intersection.a ) to go along a path parallel to something:The road follows the old stream bed.6. ) transitive to be interested in the progress or development of someone or something:My father followed the Yankees for forty years.Have you been following the election campaign?7. ) transitive often in negatives or questions to understand something, especially something long or complicated:I couldn't follow what Professor Hope was saying.I'm sorry, I don't quite follow you.easy/difficult to follow: Their system is pretty easy to follow.8. ) intransitive or transitive to do the same thing that someone else has done:follow someone into something (=decide to do the same job as someone else): She decided not to follow her mother into banking.follow someone's example/lead: The U.S. may follow Canada's example by banning these products.Other students followed her lead and boycotted classes.follow suit (=do what someone else has done): They began to offer takeout food, and other restaurants followed suit.9. ) transitive if you follow a profession or way of life, you do that job or spend your life in that way10. ) transitive to believe what a religion or system of ideas teaches and do the things that it tells you to do:I follow the teachings of the Buddha.those who follow Christianity11. ) transitive to happen according to a particular pattern or course:All the murders have followed the same grisly pattern.Up to now, ozone losses have tended to follow a two-year cycle.12. ) intransitive if something follows, it must be true because of something else that is true:follow from: Two important implications follow from this.it follows (that): It does not necessarily follow that all criminals come from deprived backgrounds.13. ) transitive to deal with the progress or development of someone or something in a book, movie, or television program:The cartoon follows the adventures of an ant named Flick.as followsused when you are going to give more details about somethingfollow the crowd/herdto do something because most other people are doing itfollow your nose1. ) to do what you feel is right in a particular situation, although you are not certain2. ) to go straight forward, without turning:Just follow your nose until you see the school parking lot.follow (hard) on the heels of somethingto happen very soon after something else:The factory closure follows hard on the heels of several others.=> FOOTSTEP,follow a`round phrasal verb transitivefollow someone around to follow someone wherever they go, especially in a way that annoys them:Henry's been following me around like a puppy!,follow `through phrasal verb1. ) intransitive or transitive to continue doing something until it has been completed:Jack is always starting projects, but he rarely follows through.follow through with: The government needs to follow through with some very necessary reforms.2. ) intransitive to continue the movement of your arm or leg after you have hit, kicked, or thrown a ball in a sport,follow `up phrasal verb1. ) intransitive or transitive to try to find out more about something or do something more to deal with it:They never followed my complaint up.The police are now following up some new leads.2. ) transitive follow up with to do something in addition to what you have already done, in order to be certain of achieving your goal:Follow up the phone call with a written confirmation.
Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.