/'fɒləʊ; `fɑlo/
v
1 (a) [I, Ip, Tn, Tn.pr] ~ sth (by/with sth) (cause sth to) come, go or take place after (sb/sth else) (in space, time or order) （使某事物）（在空间、时间或顺序上）在（他人[他事物]）之後, 来、去或发生; 跟随; 跟着
*The duckling followed its mother everywhere. 小鸭子跟着鸭妈妈到处走.
* You go first and I'll follow (on) later. 你先走, 我随後就到.
* Monday follows Sunday. 星期一在星期日之後.
* One misfortune followed another. 不幸的事情一件接着一件.
* The lightning was quickly followed by/with heavy thunder.闪电过後紧接着是响雷.
* You should follow your treatment with plenty of rest in bed. 你应该在治疗之後好好卧床休息.
(b) [Tn] go after (sb) in order to catch him; chase 追捕（某人）; 追逐
*The police were following him. 警察正在追捕他.
2 [Tn] go along (a road, path, etc) 沿着（道路等）而行
*Follow this road until you get to the corner, then turn left. 沿着这条路走到拐角处, 然後向左转.
3 [Tn]
(a) act according to (sth) 按照（某事物）去做; 听从; 采用
*follow the instructions 按指示办事
* follow sb's advice 听从某人的劝告.
(b) accept (sb/sth) as a guide, leader or example; copy 把（某人[某事物]）当作指导、领导、榜样; 仿效
*follow the latest fashions 赶时髦
* follow the teachings of Muhammad 遵照穆罕默德的教诲.
4 [Tn] carry on (sth) as one's particular job or trade; pursue 经营（某事物）; 从事
*follow a legalcareer 从事法律工作.
5 [I, Tn] understand (the explanation or meaning of sth); understand (the plot of a story) 明白（对某事物的解释或意思）; 明白（故事的情节）
*I don't follow. 我不明白.
* I couldn't follow his argument at all. 我根本不明白他的论点.
6 [Tn] pay close attention to (sth); watch or listen very closely 密切注意（某事物）; 注视; 倾听
*The President's wife follows his every word. 总统夫人总是注意听他说的话.
* The cat followed the mouse's movements carefully. 那只猫紧盯着老鼠的动向.
7 [Tn] take an active interest in (sth) 对（某事物）产生浓厚的兴趣
*Have you been following the basketball tournament? 你一直都在看篮球锦标赛吗?
* Millions of fans follow the TV soap operas devotedly. 千百万观众非常着迷地收看这部电视连续剧.
8 [Tn] read (a text) while listening to the same text being spoken by sb else; read (a musical score) while listening to the music being performed 边听别人朗读边跟着阅读（文字）; 边听正在演奏的乐曲边跟着读（乐谱）
*Follow the text while I read it out to you. 看着课文, 听我给你朗读.
9 (a) [I, Ipr, Ip, Tn] ~ (on) (from sth) result from sth; happen as a consequence 由某事物引起; 随之发生
*Inevitably, a quarrel followed between the two sides. 双方随後不可避免地争吵起来.
* Disease often follows (on from) starvation because the body is weakened. 疾病的产生往往是由于饥饿的缘故, 这是因身体虚弱所致.
(b) [I, Ipr] ~ (from sth) happen as a necessary and logical consequence 必然发生
*I don't see how that follows (from what you've said). （从你的话来看）, 我不明白怎么会产生这样的结果.
* If a = b and b = c it follows that a = c. 设a = b, b = c, 则a = c.
* She's not in the office but it doesn't necessarily follow that she's ill. 她不在办公室, 并不见得就是病了.
10 [Tn] develop or happen in (a particular way) 按（某一方式）发展或发生
*His speech followed the usual pattern. 他按照通常的方式讲话.
11 (idm 习语) as follows (used to introduce a list) 用以列举事项
*The main events were as follows
*first, the president's speech, secondly the secretary's reply and thirdly, the chairman's summing-up. 主要活动如下
*第一项, 总裁讲话; 第二项, 秘书做解答; 第三项, 主席做总结. follow one's (own) `bent do what one is interested in and enjoys doing 做自己感兴趣的事; 随心所欲. follow the `crowd be content to do what most people do 随大溜
*Not wanting to make my controversial views known yet, I preferred to follow the crowd for a while. 我还不想公开我那些会引起争论的观点, 宁可暂且随大溜. follow sb's example/lead do as sb else has done; accept and follow sb else's decision 仿效他人的做法[按照他人的决定行事]
*I don't want you to follow my example and rush into marriage. 我不希望你效法我,也仓促结婚. follow (the) hounds hunt foxes with a pack of hounds 带着一群猎犬去猎狐. follow in sb's`footsteps do as sb else does; follow a similar occupation or life-style as sb else 效法他人; 从事与他人同样的职业或采取相同的生活方式
*She works in theatre, following in her father's footsteps. 她继承父业, 也从事戏剧工作. follow one's (own) `nose
(a) go straight forward 一直往前走
*The police station is a mile ahead up the hill just follow your nose. 警察局在前面一英里处的山坡上--一直往前走就行了.
(b) act instinctively凭本能或直觉行事; 凭直觉行事
*Since you don't know the language I can only suggest that you follow your nose. 你既然不会这门语言, 我只能建议你见机行事. follow `suit act or behave in the way that sb else has just done 照别人的方式去做; 学样
*One of the major banks has lowered its interest rates and the other banks are expected to follow suit. 有一家大银行已降低了利率, 其他银行也准会照样做的. to follow (in a restaurant, etc) as the next course of a meal （在餐馆等）作为下一道菜
*To follow, we'll have peaches and cream, please. 下一道, 请来个奶油蜜桃.
12 (phr v) follow on (of a side in cricket) bat again immediately after failing to get the necessary number of runs in the first innings （板球的一方）在第一局中得分不足後立即继续击球. follow through (in tennis, golf, etc) complete a stroke by continuing to move the racket, club, etc after hitting the ball （网球、高尔夫球等）击球後使球拍、球棒等完成顺势动作. follow sth through carry out or continue sth to the end; complete sth 将某事物进行到底; 完成某事物
*Starting projects is one thing, following them through is another. 着手进行某项目是一回事, 而将之进行到底则是另一回事. follow sth up
(a) take further action on sth; develop or exploit sth 对某事物采取进一步行动; 发展或利用某事物
*You should follow up your letter with a phone call. 你应该写完信以後再跟着打个电话.
(b) investigate sth closely 深入调查某事物
*follow up a lead, clue, rumour 顺着头绪、线索、谣传进行调查.

v

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1【go after】
2【happen after】
3【come after】
4 as follows
5【do what somebody says】
6 follow the signs/somebody's directions
7【do the same thing】
8【believe in something】
9【go in particular direction】
10【understand】
11【be a result】
12【be interested】
13 follow a pattern/course/trend etc
14 follow suit
15 follow in somebody's footsteps
16【be about】
17 be a hard act to follow
18【watch carefully】
19【think about/study】
20 follow your instincts/feelings/gut reaction etc
21 follow the herd/crowd
22 follow your nose
23 follow a profession/trade/way of life etc
Phrasal verbs
　follow somebody around
　follow on
　follow through
　follow something⇔up

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[Language: Old English;Origin: folgian]
【GO AFTER】 [I and T]
to go, walk, drive etc behind or after someone else
　Are those men following us?
　The patrol car followed the BMW for a few miles and then lost it.
　Tom's already gone out to Rome and his wife and children will follow shortly.
follow sb into/to etc sth
　Peggy followed her out onto the landing.
【HAPPEN AFTER】 [I and T]
to happen or do something after something else
　The agreement followed months of negotiation.
　The assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968 was followed by that of Robert Kennedy.
there follows sth
　After weeks of intense fighting, there followed a brief period of calm.
　Most EU countries have signed the agreement and the US is expected to follow shortly (=soon) .
→following³
【COME AFTER】 [I and T]
to come directly after something else in a series, list, or order
　The chapters that follow deal mainly with mathematics.
　In English, the letter Q is always followed by U.
　We had vegetable casserole with a fruit salad to follow (=as part of a meal) .
there follows sth
　There followed several pages of incomprehensible statistics.
as follows
used to introduce a list of things that you will mention next
　The winners are as follows: in third place, Mandy Johnson; in second place ...
【DO WHAT SOMEBODY SAYS】 [T]
to do something in the way that someone has told or advised you to do it
　He followed the doctor's advice and had no further trouble.
　Follow the instructions very carefully when filling in the form.
　They followed the plan that Elizabeth had worked out.
follow the signs/sb's directions
to go somewhere by a particular way according to road signs or to what someone has told you
　Just follow the signs for the airport.
　I followed Brown's directions and found the farm quite easily.
【DO THE SAME THING】 [I and T]
to do the same thing as someone else
　Some state schools follow the example of private schools in asking parents to donate money.
　Environmentalists are urging the government to follow the lead of Scandinavian countries in this matter.
　She's just like any young woman who enjoys following the latest fashions (=wearing fashionable clothes) .
follow sb into sth
(=do the same job as someone else)
　He does not want to follow his father into a scientific career.
【BELIEVE IN SOMETHING】 [T]
to believe in and obey a particular set of religious or political ideas
【GO IN PARTICULAR DIRECTION】 [T]
a) to continue along a particular road, river etc
　I followed the main road up the mountain.
　Tom followed the track that leads to the old Roman road.
b) to go in the same direction as something else, or to go parallel to something else
　The road follows the line of the river for several miles.
【UNDERSTAND】 [I and T]
to understand something such as an explanation or story
= grasp
　I didn't quite follow what he was saying.
easy/difficult/hard etc to follow
　The plot is a little difficult to follow.
【BE A RESULT】 [I]
to be true as a result of something else that is true
follow from
　The conclusion that follows from these findings is that inner city schools need more investment, not less.
　It doesn't necessarily follow that you're going to do well academically even if you're highly intelligent.
【BE INTERESTED】 [T]
to be interested in something and in the way it develops
　Have you been following that crime series on TV?
　I've been following his progress very closely.
　She just doesn't understand people who follow football or any other kind of sport.
follow a pattern/course/trend etc
to continue to happen or develop in a particular way, especially in a way that is expected
　In Australia, the weather follows a fairly predictable pattern.
follow suit
to do the same as someone else has done
　Budget companies have been so successful that other airlines have had to follow suit and lower their fares.
follow in sb's footsteps
to do the same job or to work or live in the same way as someone else before you, especially someone in your family
　He is a doctor and expects his son to follow in his footsteps.
【BE ABOUT】 [T]
to show or describe someone's life or a series of events, for example in a film or book
　The book follows the plight of an orphaned Irish girl who marries into New York society.
be a hard act to follow
to be so good or successful at something that it will be difficult for the next person, team etc to be as good
　We're looking for a replacement for Sue, but she's going to be a hard act to follow.
【WATCH CAREFULLY】 [T]
to carefully watch someone do something
　She followed Simon with her eyes as he walked to the gate.
【THINK ABOUT/STUDY】 [T]
to study or think about a particular idea or subject and try to learn something from it
　It turned out we were both following the same line of research.
　If you follow that idea to its logical conclusion, we'd have to ban free speech altogether.
follow your instincts/feelings/gut reaction etc
to do the thing that you immediately feel is best without needing to stop and think about it
follow the herd/crowd
to do the same thing that most other people are doing, without really thinking about it for yourself - used in order to show disapproval
follow your noseinformal
a) to go straight forward or continue in the same direction
　Just follow your nose until you come to a small bridge.
b) to go to the place from where there is a particular smell coming
　I followed my nose to the kitchen, where Marcie was making coffee.
c) to do something in the way that you feel is right
　After a few years in the detective game, you learn to follow your nose.
follow a profession/trade/way of life etc
to do a particular job or have a particular way of life
follow around [follow sb around] phr v
to follow someone everywhere they go, especially when this is annoying
　She told him to go away and stop following her around.
follow onphr v
to happen after something else and be connected with it
→follow-onfollow on from
　The discussion sessions are supposed to follow on from this morning's lecture.
to go to the same place as someone else at a later time
　You go ahead - I'll follow on later.
follow throughphr v
to do what needs to be done to complete something or make it successful
　The project went wrong when the staff failed to follow through.
follow sth⇔through
　If you have followed through all the exercises in this book, you should be ready for the second year course.
to continue moving your arm after you have hit the ball in tennis, golf etc
→follow-through
follow up [follow sth⇔up] phr v
to find out more information about something and take action if necessary
　The police take people's statements and then follow them up.
to do something in addition to what you have already done in order to make it more likely to succeed
follow something⇔up with
　If there is no response to your press release, follow it up with a phone call.
　This experiment was quickly followed up by others using different forms of the drug.
→follow-up