after
after — preposition
1. later in time than something, further along than a place, or further down a list
later in time than something, further along than a place, or further down a list than an item already named.
Mei brushes her teeth after every meal at her grandmother's house.
after + noun phrase for time
After the long flight to Tokyo, Daniel slept for fourteen hours.
fronted: after + noun, comma
The bakery is two blocks after the traffic light on Maple Street.
spatial use: further along than
After finishing her homework, Tomás went outside to play with his dog.
after + -ing for completed action
B comes after A in the alphabet, and Tuesday comes after Monday.
ordering in a fixed sequence
- after dinner
- after school
- after midnight
- shortly after
- soon after
- the day after tomorrow
- following
more formal; common in news and reports
- subsequent to
very formal; legal or academic register
- post-
prefix for time periods, e.g. post-war, post-lunch
- before
the direct opposite for time and order
Grammar Patterns
after + noun phrase
after + -ing form
Usage Note
Frequently followed by a noun, a pronoun, or an -ing form, never a base verb. Distinguish from sense 5 (queue/order politeness) and from the conjunction use (after + full clause: 'after she left').
Common Mistakes
2. given everything that has been done, said, or suffered — often used when the res
given everything that has been done, said, or suffered — often used when the result is the opposite of what was deserved or expected.
After all the time Yael spent helping him, Tova forgot her birthday completely.
after all + noun phrase for unfair outcome
After three years of training, Lin was crushed when the team rejected her.
after + duration noun, contrasting outcome
After everything we had been through together, my brother refused to speak to me.
after everything + clause for emotional contrast
How can you complain about the food after eating two whole plates?
after + -ing in rhetorical question
- after all
- after everything
- after all this time
- after years of
- despite
more direct contrast; lacks the time-investment feel
- in spite of
interchangeable with despite, slightly more emphatic
Grammar Patterns
after + noun phrase / -ing form indicating effort or expectation
Usage Note
Almost always introduces a contrast: a strong investment of effort, time, or hope is followed by a disappointing or surprising result. Often pairs with 'all' (after all the work…) or a measured quantity (after three years…). Distinguish from sense 1 (neutral time) by the felt unfairness or surprise.
Common Mistakes
3. as a direct result of something that just happened, where the earlier event is t
as a direct result of something that just happened, where the earlier event is the reason for the later one.
After the accident on the highway, Sara refuses to drive at night.
after + event noun causing later behaviour
The mayor resigned after the corruption scandal hit the local newspapers.
post-positioned: clause + after + cause
After what the doctor said about her heart, Aunt Rosa quit smoking immediately.
after what + clause as cause
Many shops closed early after the heavy snowstorm last Friday.
after + weather event causing closure
- after what happened
- after the accident
- after the news
- after such
- because of
more explicit about cause; no time element
- in light of
formal; emphasises new information shaping a decision
- following
neutral and common in news writing
Grammar Patterns
after + noun phrase referring to a triggering event
Usage Note
Carries a cause-and-effect feel that goes beyond simple time order. The construction 'after what (someone said / happened)' is a common signal of this sense. If you can replace it with 'because of', you are in this sense, not sense 1.
Common Mistakes
4. chasing, hunting, or trying to get hold of someone or something — used when the
chasing, hunting, or trying to get hold of someone or something — used when the subject has them as a clear target.
Two police officers ran after the thief through the crowded train station.
verb of motion + after + person being chased
The detectives have been after that gang for almost ten years.
be after + noun for ongoing pursuit
My little sister is always after my chocolate biscuits when I'm not looking.
informal: after + object someone wants
Reporters were after a quote from the singer outside the courthouse.
after + abstract noun (information, statement)
The cat shot under the sofa, with the puppy yapping after it.
verb of motion + after + thing chased
- run after
- chase after
- go after
- be after someone
- come after
- in pursuit of
more formal; common in news and police reports
- chasing
physical pursuit only, not abstract goals
- hunting for
stronger search verb, often for hidden things
Grammar Patterns
be after + noun (person or thing being chased or wanted)
Usage Note
Most common after verbs of motion (run, chase, go) or with the structure 'be after [someone/something]'. The object is whatever the subject is trying to catch, find, or obtain — often a criminal, a prize, or information.
Common Mistakes
5. directly behind another person in a queue, schedule, or order of importance — of
directly behind another person in a queue, schedule, or order of importance — often used as a polite gesture inviting that person to go first.
"After you," Mr. Leila said, holding the door open for the elderly woman.
polite formula: 'After you' invites the other person
The vice president speaks first, and the prime minister speaks after her.
after + pronoun for order of importance
I'm after the woman in the red coat, so please serve her first.
be after + person in a queue
In the royal family, Prince William comes after his father in the line of succession.
after + person in a ranked list
- after you
- second after
- right after
- before
ahead of in a queue or ranking
Grammar Patterns
after + you / pronoun in queue contexts
Usage Note
The fixed phrase 'After you' is a courtesy formula at doors, lifts, and queues — close to a small ritual in British and American English. Beyond that, this sense covers any ranked list (succession, seniority, billing order).
Common Mistakes
6. made or done so that it copies the style of a famous artist, work, or tradition,
made or done so that it copies the style of a famous artist, work, or tradition, while not being the original itself.
The young painter produced a calm river scene after Monet for her graduation show.
noun + after + artist name
Tova baked a layered chocolate cake after his Italian grandmother's recipe.
after + person whose method is copied
The museum displayed several bronze figures after Rodin in its main hall.
after + sculptor, plural artworks
Sofia's debut novel is clearly written after the great Russian masters of the nineteenth century.
after + a tradition or school
- a painting after
- a sketch after
- a dish after
- after the manner of
- in the style of
less formal label; same meaning
- modelled on
wider use, beyond visual art
- à la
borrowed from French; mainly used for cooking and fashion
Grammar Patterns
noun (artwork, design, dish) + after + artist or model name
Usage Note
Most common in art, music, food, and writing. The label '(after [Artist])' signals that the piece is an honest imitation or homage, not a forgery. Distinguish from sense 7 (named after) — this is about copying style, not borrowing a name.
Common Mistakes
7. given a name in honour of, or borrowed from, another person, place, or thing.
given a name in honour of, or borrowed from, another person, place, or thing.
The baby boy was named Noa after his grandfather, who fought in the war.
passive: be named after + person
Lin called her bookshop "Hazel" after her childhood cat.
active: call + object + after + source of name
The new science lab is named after Marie Curie, the famous physicist.
after + historical figure
Many streets in Buenos Aires are named after important dates in the country's history.
after + abstract source (date, event)
- named after
- called after
- after his father
- after a saint
- named for
American English alternative; same meaning
- in honour of
more ceremonial; used when explaining the choice
Grammar Patterns
be named / called after + person or place
Usage Note
Almost always appears with the verbs 'name' or 'call', often in the passive ('was named after…'). Distinguish from sense 6: sense 6 copies the style; sense 7 borrows the name only.
Common Mistakes
after all
idiomUsed to say that something happened or is true despite what was thought earlier.
Maya decided to join the trip after all.
After all, he is the one who broke the vase.
To be about to do something or planning to do it very soon.
Diego is after finishing his homework before dinner.
Are you after leaving the party already?
after — adverb
1. at any point in time that follows the moment or event already being talked about
at any point in time that follows the moment or event already being talked about.
We had lunch at noon, and Daniel arrived an hour after.
duration noun + after
The earthquake shook the village, and the rain came soon after.
soon after for close time link
Mei graduated in June; shortly after, she moved to Taipei for her first job.
fronted: shortly after + clause
Noa and Tomás got married last spring and lived happily ever after.
fixed phrase: ever after (storybook ending)
- soon after
- shortly after
- long after
- ever after
- the day after
- afterwards
fully interchangeable, slightly more common in British English
- later
more general; can be combined with after for emphasis
- subsequently
formal; written register
- before
the direct opposite as an adverb of time
- beforehand
ahead of the moment in question
Grammar Patterns
time noun + after
soon / shortly / long + after
Usage Note
Stands alone without a noun object — that is what makes it an adverb rather than a preposition. Most often modified by 'soon', 'shortly', 'long', or a duration ('an hour after'). The phrase 'ever after' is a fixed storybook ending.
Common Mistakes
after — conjunction
1. joining two clauses to show that the second action takes place once the first on
joining two clauses to show that the second action takes place once the first one has finished.
After Tomás locked the front door, he remembered her keys were still inside.
after + past clause + main clause
Tova always feels sleepy after he eats a heavy meal at lunchtime.
main clause + after + present clause for habits
I will phone you after the meeting finishes tomorrow afternoon.
future main clause + after + simple present clause
After the doctor had examined the baby, she smiled and said everything looked fine.
after + past perfect for clear sequence
- after I had
- long after
- right after
- soon after
- once
emphasises that the first action must finish first
- as soon as
stresses no delay between the two events
- when
weaker time link; can also mean at the same moment
- before
reverses the time order of the two clauses
Grammar Patterns
after + subject + verb (full clause)
Usage Note
Takes a full clause with a subject and a verb — different from the preposition, which takes a noun or -ing form. In an after-clause about the future, use the simple present (not 'will'): 'after the meeting finishes', not 'after the meeting will finish'. Use the past perfect to make the order of two past events very clear.
Common Mistakes
after — prefix
1. joined to the front of a noun to make a new word that names something happening,
joined to the front of a noun to make a new word that names something happening, felt, or done just after the main event.
Yael enjoys the bitter aftertaste of dark chocolate more than the first sweet bite.
aftertaste: feeling left after eating
The aftermath of the storm covered the village in mud and broken branches.
aftermath: situation after a major event
Halfway through the meeting, Daniel had an afterthought and raised his hand again.
afterthought: idea coming after the main thinking
Lin's parents take a short walk every afternoon, just after lunch.
afternoon: the period after midday
- aftermath
- afternoon
- aftertaste
- afterthought
- aftershock
- afterlife
- aftercare
- post-
Latin prefix with similar meaning; more formal (post-war, post-lunch)
Grammar Patterns
after- + noun (closed compound, no hyphen for established words)
Usage Note
Forms closed compounds (no hyphen) with a small set of established nouns: afternoon, aftermath, aftertaste, afterthought, aftershock, aftercare, afterlife. New coinings with 'after-' usually take a hyphen ('after-show', 'after-party'). Not a productive prefix in everyday writing — stick to the established words.
Common Mistakes
after all
idiomused to remind someone of an important fact that explains or supports what you have just said.
Of course Mei is tired — after all, she walked twelve kilometres today.
Don't be too hard on the puppy; after all, he is only three months old.
day after day
idiomevery day for a long time, in a way that feels boring, tiring, or unchanging.
Day after day, Tova waited by the window for his lost dog to come home.
The factory workers stamped the same metal parts day after day for thirty years.
after a fashion
idiomin a way that gets the job done but is not very good or skilful.
Lin can play the guitar after a fashion, but she would not call herself a musician.
The old printer still works, after a fashion, though it jams almost every page.
Word family
- afterwardsadverbA2
- afternoonnounA1
- aftermathnounC1
- aftertastenounB2
- afterthoughtnounC1
- aftershocknounB2
- afterlifenounB2
- aftercarenounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: preposition/1
All four words place one event later than another in time, but they belong to different registers and structures. 'After' is the everyday choice — neutral, A1, and used in conversation, news, and writing alike: 'after lunch', 'after the meeting'. 'Following' carries a slightly formal flavour and is the favourite of journalists: 'Following the announcement, share prices fell.' It often appears at the start of a sentence in news writing where 'after' would also fit. 'Subsequent to' is firmly formal and almost only seen in legal, academic, or business writing: 'Subsequent to the merger, the company changed its name.' Avoid it in speech — it sounds stiff. 'Post-' is a prefix, not a free word: it joins directly to a noun (post-war, post-match, post-surgery) and gives a compact, headline-style label rather than a flowing sentence. Pick 'after' first; reach for the others only when register or sentence shape demands it.
Common collocations
Nouns
- after dinner
- after school
- after work
- after midnight
- after lunch
- after the war
Adverbs
- soon after
- shortly after
- long after
- right after
- immediately after
- ever after
Phrases
- the day after tomorrow
- after you
- named after
- year after year
- time after time
- one after another
Prepositions
- after all
- after a while
- after a fashion
- from after
Etymology
The word goes back to Old English 'æfter', built from a base meaning 'off, away' plus an old comparative ending — so the original sense was roughly 'further off' or 'further behind'. From there it spread to cover anything coming behind in space, then later in time, in order, and in pursuit. The same root family gave English 'aft' (the back of a ship) and is related to similar words in Old Norse, Old Saxon, and Gothic. Most modern senses, including the prefix use in 'afternoon' and 'aftermath', were already in place by the Middle English period.