different between ensue vs happen

English

Etymology

From Old French ensu- , stem of some conjugated forms of ensivre (“follow close upon, come afterward”) (French ensuivre), from Latin ?nsequere, from ?nsequi (“to pursue, follow, follow after; come next”), from in- (“upon”) (see in-) + sequi (“follow”) (see sequel).

Pronunciation

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /?n?sj??/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n?sju?/, IPA^(key): /?n??u?/, IPA^(key): /?n?sju?/, IPA^(key): /?n??u?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?n?su?/
• Rhymes: -u?

Verb

ensue (third-person singular simple present ensues, present participle ensuing, simple past and past participle ensued)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To follow (a leader, inclination etc.). [15th-17th c.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.ii:

     to ripenesse of mans state they grew: / Then shewing forth signes of their fathers blood, / They loued armes, and knighthood did ensew, / Seeking aduentures [...].

   • 1606, Justine, G. W. (translator), The Historie of Justine

     To ensue his example in doynge the like mischiefe.

2. (obsolete, transitive) To follow (in time), to be subsequent to. [15th-17th c.]
   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, III.11:

     Oh how many changes are like to ensue this reformation!

3. (intransitive) To occur afterwards, as a result or effect. [from 16th c.]

   Give three freshmen six bottles of wine, and hilarity will ensue.

Synonyms

• (to follow): carry out, follow, pursue
• (to be subsequent to): come after, follow; see also Thesaurus:succeed
• (to occur afterwards): arise, follow

Related terms

Translations

References

Anagrams

• seuen, unsee

English

Etymology

From Middle English happenen, hapnen, augmented from Middle English happen (“to come to pass, happen”), perhaps from Old English hæppan (“to move accidentally, slip”) and/or from Old Norse *happa, *heppa, from Proto-Germanic *hampijan? (“to fit in, be fitting”). Equivalent to hap (“a chance, occurrence, byfall”) +? -en (verbal suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?hæp?n/
• Rhymes: -æp?n

Verb

happen (third-person singular simple present happens, present participle happening, simple past and past participle happened)

1. (intransitive) To occur or take place.

   Synonyms: come to pass; see also Thesaurus:happen

2. (transitive, archaic) To happen to; to befall.
3. (intransitive or impersonal, with infinitive) To do or occur by chance or unexpectedly.

4. (followed by on or upon) To encounter by chance.
   • 1860, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun, ch. 30:

     Unexpectedly, in a nook close by the farmhouse, he happened upon a spot where the vintage had actually commenced.

Usage notes

• In the sense which indicates a chance occurrence, happen is a catenative verb that takes the to-infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Derived terms

Related terms

• happening
• happenstance

Translations

Adverb

happen (not comparable)

1. (obsolete or dialect) maybe, perhaps.

   (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???p?(n)/
• Rhymes: -?p?n

Verb

happen

1. to take a bite

Inflection

Noun

happen

1. Plural form of hap