follow
gb/fˈɑloʊ/ us/fˈɑloʊ/
A2
English
~ 300
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Go after someone or something
To go after someone or something and move in the same direction.
Usage pattern:
to follow [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'follow' with 'chase'. 'Chase' suggests speed and urgency, while 'follow' can be slow and calm.
Synonyms
pursue (Implies going after someone or something with determination or purpose, often for a reason like capture or goal.)
Antonyms
lead (Means to be in front and guide, which is the opposite of going behind.)
Collocations
follow closely
|follow behind
|follow the path
|follow the car
Themes
daily life
|travel
|movement
|transportation
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The police car followed the suspect through the city.
- She followed her friend into the building.
- A dog followed us home from the park.
- The hikers followed the trail to the lake.
Learner examples
- I followed my mother to the shop.
- The baby duck followed its mother.
- He followed me into the room.
- We followed the bus to school.
Verb
B1
action
2
Pay attention to events
To watch, listen to, or read about something so you know what happens.
Usage pattern:
to follow [news/sports/story]
Common mistake:
Some learners think 'follow' here means physically going after someone. In this meaning, it is about paying attention over time.
Synonyms
monitor (More formal; often used in professional or technical contexts.)
Antonyms
ignore (To deliberately not pay attention to something.)
Collocations
follow the news
|follow a story
|follow politics
|follow a team
Themes
media
|communication
|daily life
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I follow several tech blogs to stay updated.
- She has been following the trial closely.
- Many people follow football during the World Cup.
Learner examples
- I follow the news every day.
- She follows her favorite singer on social media.
- We follow the weather report in winter.
Verb
A2
action
3
Obey instructions or rules
To do what a rule, law, or person says you should do.
Usage pattern:
to follow [instructions/rules/advice]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'follow' here with physically moving after someone. Here it means to act in agreement with instructions.
Synonyms
comply with (More formal; common in legal or official contexts.)
Antonyms
disobey (To not do what is ordered or advised.)
Collocations
follow instructions
|follow rules
|follow advice
Themes
daily life
|education
|law
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Please follow the instructions on the package.
- He followed his teacher's advice and studied harder.
- They always follow company policy.
Learner examples
- I follow my teacher's advice.
- We follow the rules in class.
- He follows the doctor's orders.
Verb
A2
action
4
Come after in time/order
To come after something else happens or is done.
Usage pattern:
[event] follows [event]
Synonyms
succeed (More formal; often used in written contexts about time order.)
Antonyms
precede (To come before something else in time or order.)
Collocations
immediately follow
|follow soon after
Themes
time
|events
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The speech was followed by a question-and-answer session.
- Spring follows winter every year.
- A long silence followed his remark.
Learner examples
- Lunch follows morning classes.
- Night follows day.
- The party will follow dinner.
Verb
B1
action
5
Understand what is happening/said
To understand what someone says or what is happening.
Usage pattern:
to follow [an explanation/conversation]
Common mistake:
'Follow' here does not mean to go after physically; it means mentally keeping up with what is said or done.
Synonyms
comprehend (Slightly more formal; focuses on mental grasp of meaning.)
Antonyms
misunderstand (To fail to understand correctly.)
Collocations
follow a conversation
|follow an argument
Themes
communication
|learning
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I couldn't follow what he was saying because of the noise.
- She speaks so fast that it's hard to follow her story.
- Do you follow my reasoning?
Learner examples
- I can't follow your words.
- He speaks slowly so I can follow him.
- Please speak clearly so I can follow you.
Grammar
Dictionary form
follow
IPA
GB/fˈɑloʊ/
US/fˈɑloʊ/
Syllables & stress
fol - low (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (fol)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: follow
- 3rd Person Singular: follows
- Present Participle: following
- Past: followed
Word family
Forms
follows
verb
following
verb
followed
verb
Core family
follower
noun A2
Negative and opposite forms
unfollow
verb
Advanced or less common
followership
noun
Expressions
follow through (on)
1/fˈɑloʊ θɹˈu ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
Finish what was planned/promised
To finish doing something you said you would do.
Examples
- You need to follow through on your promises.
- He started the project but never followed through.
follow your heart
1/fˈɑloʊ jˈʊɹ hˈɑɹt/
idiom
informal
Choose based on feelings/desires
To decide what to do by thinking about what you really want, not just logic.
Examples
- He decided to follow his heart and become a musician.
- Follow your heart when choosing your career.
follow up
1/fˈɑloʊ ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Do more after first action/event
To do something more to finish what you started or check progress after an earlier action.
Examples
- She called to follow up on our meeting last week.
- The police will follow up on all leads.
- The doctor will follow up with you in two weeks.
- I sent an email and will follow up with a phone call.
follow in someone's footsteps
1/fˈɑloʊ ˈɪn sˈʌmwˌʌnz fˈʊtstˌɛps/
idiom
Take same path as someone else
To do the same job or live like someone did before you, often a family member.
Examples
- She followed in her mother's footsteps and became a teacher.
- She followed in her father’s footsteps and became a lawyer.
- He followed in his father's footsteps and became a doctor.
- Many young athletes hope to follow in their heroes’ footsteps.
- Many young musicians try to follow in the footsteps of famous artists.
- Many young athletes hope to follow in the footsteps of their heroes.
follow suit
1/fˈɑloʊ sˈut/
idiom
Do as someone else did
To do the same thing that another person has just done.
Examples
- When one store lowered prices, others quickly followed suit.
- When she left early, the rest of the staff followed suit.
- When one shop lowered its prices, the others soon followed suit.
- She started jogging, and her friends followed suit.
- Other companies followed suit and raised their prices.
- After she dyed her hair, her friends followed suit.