ensue

ensue — verb

1. to follow directly from an earlier event, situation, or action, typically as its

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to follow directly from an earlier event, situation, or action, typically as its natural or expected outcome

Example

After the CEO of the tech firm resigned, a long period of uncertainty ensued.

collocation: uncertainty/chaos/panic/silence ensued

A long silence ensued when nobody knew how to reply to his question.

collocation: silence ensued

Common collocations
  • ensue from
  • ensue after
  • chaos ensues
  • debate ensues
  • silence ensues
  • confusion ensues
  • panic ensues
  • fight ensues
  • argument ensues
  • battle ensues
  • uncertainty ensues
Synonyms
  • follow

    more general; can mean simply 'come after' without necessarily implying a cause-effect relationship

  • result

    emphasises the outcome side of the cause-effect link; can be transitive when paired with 'in'

  • arise

    suggests emerging from a source rather than following sequentially; often paired with 'from'

  • proceed

    more formal and can imply continuation from a starting point rather than consequence

Antonyms
  • precede

    to come before in time or order

Grammar Patterns

ensue (from/after + noun phrase)

and/semicolon + clause, and [event] ensued

Usage Note

Frequently used of events or situations rather than people. The subject of 'ensue' is typically an outcome noun (chaos, silence, debate, fight) that follows from a preceding cause. This sense is almost always intransitive and rarely appears in the passive voice. Common in formal and academic writing; less common in casual conversation.

Common Mistakes

The rain ensued the flood.
The flood ensued from the heavy rain.
'ensue' is intransitive and cannot take a direct object.
She ensued him into the room.
She followed him into the room.
'ensue' does not mean 'to physically follow a person'; use 'follow' for that meaning.

Word family

  • ensuing
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Follow is the broadest and most neutral term: it simply means to come after in time or order, with no necessary cause-effect relationship ('The main course followed the appetizer'). Ensue is more specific: it requires that the later event be a direct outcome of the earlier one. Result is similar but is often used with in ('result in chaos'), while ensue stays intransitive. Arise emphasises emergence from a source rather than sequential order ('problems arose from the policy'). Proceed carries a sense of continuation from a fixed starting point ('work proceeded as planned'), making it the least focused on consequence. Use ensue when you want to stress both the temporal sequence and the causal link.

follow ↗result ↗arise ↗proceed ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'ensue' entered English in the late 14th century from Old French 'ensivre', meaning 'to follow'. This French word came from Latin 'insequi' (to follow after), which was formed from the prefix 'in-' (upon) and the verb 'sequi' (to follow). The modern spelling and pronunciation settled into their current form by the 16th century. The original meaning 'to follow' has narrowed over time to specifically suggest a cause-effect relationship.