Following — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun preposition verb /ˈfä-lə-wiŋ/ fol·low·ing

Meaning & Definition of Following

Following (adjective)

  1. being next in order or time
  2. listed or shown next

Following (noun)

  1. a group of followers, adherents, or partisans

Following (preposition)

  1. subsequent to

Following (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being the one that comes immediately after another

    "the following morning, I found the cat was gone"

    similar: coming, ensuing, next, succeeding, on deck
    related: consecutive, sequential, successive, posterior, subsequent, immediate, second
    opposite: antecedent, foregoing, precedent, preceding, previous, prior
    near: anterior, former, past, last

Following (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a body of employees or servants who accompany and wait on a person

    "a prince with a large following to do practically everything for him"

    similar: cortege, entourage, posse, retinue, suite, tail, train
    related: crew, personnel, staff, court, assistant, attendant, helper, retainer

  2. a group of people showing intense devotion to a cause, person, or work (as a film)

    "that rock star attracts quite a following"

    similar: audience, cult, followership
    related: discipleship, fandom

  3. the act of going after or in the tracks of another

    "took part in the following of the coyote"

    similar: chase, chasing, dogging, hounding, pursuing, pursuit, shadowing, tagging, tailing, tracing, tracking, trailing
    related: hot pursuit, tagging along, path, track, trail, search, seeking

Following (preposition) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. subsequent to in time or order

    "following the concert, there will be refreshments in the lobby"

    similar: after, après, behind, below, next to, past
    related: since
    opposite: afore (chiefly dialect), ahead of, before, ere, of, previous to, prior to, to
    near: toward

Following (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to come after in time

    "a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast"

    similar: postdating, succeeding, supervening
    related: displacing, replacing, superseding, supplanting, ensuing
    opposite: antedating, preceding, predating

  2. to go after or on the track of

    "let's follow the boys to their hiding place"

    similar: bird-dogging, chasing, coursing, dogging, hounding, pursuing, running, shadowing, tagging, tailing, tracing, tracking, trailing, running after
    related: accompanying, chaperoning, escorting, hunting, searching (for), seeking, eyeing, observing, watching
    opposite: guiding, leading, piloting
    near: heading

  3. to act according to the commands of

    "follow me, and you'll do OK"

    similar: adhering (to), complying (with), conforming (to), goose-stepping (to), minding, obeying, observing, abiding by, falling in with, keeping to
    related: deferring (to), submitting (to), surrendering (to), yielding (to), acceding (to), acquiescing (to), agreeing (to), assenting (to), attending, hearing, heeding, listening (to), marking, noticing, noting, regarding, taking, watching
    opposite: defying, disobeying, rebelling (against)
    near: disobliging, challenging, daring, refusing, renouncing, repudiating, directing, leading, brushing (off), disregarding, ignoring, overlooking, overpassing, passing over, tuning out, winking (at), dismissing, pooh-poohing, shrugging off, breaching, breaking, infringing, transgressing, violating, deriding, flouting, mocking, scoffing (at), scorning, mutinying (against), revolting (against), bucking, combating, contesting, disputing, fighting, opposing, resisting, withstanding

  4. to make one's way through, across, or over

    "followed the path into the garden"

    similar: coursing, covering, crossing, cutting (across), going, navigating, passing (over), perambulating, peregrinating, proceeding (along), tracking, transiting, traveling, traversing
    related: hiking, traipsing, tramping, treading, walking, riding, running, crisscrossing

  5. to take notice of and be guided by

    "don't follow his advice"

    similar: heeding, listening (to), minding, noting, observing, regarding, watching
    related: considering, contemplating, mulling, pondering, weighing, complying (with), conforming (to), keeping, obeying, respecting, attending (to), harking (to), hearing, hearkening (to), marking, noticing, seeing
    opposite: disregarding, ignoring, tuning out
    near: brushing (aside or off), discounting, dismissing, glossing (over), glozing (over), neglecting, passing over, pooh-poohing, scorning, shrugging off, defying, flouting, slighting, snubbing

  6. to keep one's eyes on

    "stood on the platform and followed the departing train until it disappeared from sight"

    similar: eyeing, observing, watching, having one's eye on
    related: beholding, looking, perceiving, regarding, seeing, viewing, gaping, gawking, gazing, glaring, goggling, looking on, peering, rubbernecking, staring, guarding, waking, warding, bird-dogging, monitoring, studying, spying, espying, glancing, glimpsing, peeking, peeping
    near: blinking, winking

Related Entry: Follow (verb)

Follow is a different word from Following. The synonyms below are for follow, not for following.

  1. to come after in time

    "a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast"

    similar: postdate, succeed, supervene
    related: displace, replace, supersede, supplant, ensue
    opposite: antedate, precede, predate

  2. to go after or on the track of

    "let's follow the boys to their hiding place"

    similar: bird-dog, chase, course, dog, hound, pursue, run, shadow, tag, tail, trace, track, trail, run after
    related: accompany, chaperone, escort, hunt, search (for), seek, eye, observe, watch
    opposite: guide, lead, pilot
    near: head

  3. to act according to the commands of

    "follow me, and you'll do OK"

    similar: adhere (to), comply (with), conform (to), goose-step (to), mind, obey, observe, abide by, fall in with, keep to
    related: defer (to), submit (to), surrender (to), yield (to), accede (to), acquiesce (to), agree (to), assent (to), attend, hear, heed, listen (to), mark, note, notice, regard, take, watch
    opposite: defy, disobey, rebel (against)
    near: disoblige, challenge, dare, refuse, renounce, repudiate, direct, lead, brush (off), disregard, ignore, overlook, overpass, pass over, tune out, wink (at), dismiss, pooh-pooh, shrug off, breach, break, infringe, transgress, violate, deride, flout, mock, scoff (at), scorn, mutiny (against), revolt (against), buck, combat, contest, dispute, fight, oppose, resist, withstand

  4. to make one's way through, across, or over

    "followed the path into the garden"

    similar: course, cover, cross, cut (across), go, navigate, pass (over), perambulate, peregrinate, proceed (along), track, transit, travel, traverse
    related: hike, traipse, tramp, tread, walk, ride, run, crisscross

  5. to take notice of and be guided by

    "don't follow his advice"

    similar: heed, listen (to), mind, note, observe, regard, watch
    related: consider, contemplate, mull, ponder, weigh, comply (with), conform (to), keep, obey, respect, attend (to), hark (to), hear, hearken (to), mark, notice, see
    opposite: disregard, ignore, tune out
    near: brush (aside or off), discount, dismiss, gloss (over), gloze (over), neglect, pass over, pooh-pooh, scorn, shrug off, defy, flout, slight, snub

  6. to keep one's eyes on

    "stood on the platform and followed the departing train until it disappeared from sight"

    similar: eye, observe, watch, have one's eye on
    related: behold, look, perceive, regard, see, view, gape, gawk, gaze, glare, goggle, look on, peer, rubberneck, stare, guard, wake, ward, bird-dog, monitor, study, spy, espy, glance, glimpse, peek, peep
    near: blink, wink

Related Entry: Following up (verb)

Following up is a different word from Following. The synonyms below are for following up, not for following.

  1. to add to or continue (something) with something similar

    "She followed up her first book with a sequel."

    similar: parlaying, complementing, supplementing, accelerating, adding (to), aggrandizing, amplifying, augmenting, boosting, building up, compounding, enlarging, escalating, expanding, extending, hyping, increasing, multiplying, pumping up, raising, stoking, supersizing, swelling, upping, completing, finishing, blowing up, dilating, distending, inflating, drawing out, elongating, fleshing (out), lengthening, prolonging, protracting, stretching, developing, enhancing, heightening, intensifying, magnifying, beefing (up), reinforcing, strengthening
    opposite: abbreviating, abridging, curtailing, shortening, compressing, condensing, constricting, contracting, cutting back, retrenching, abating, decreasing, de-escalating, diminishing, downsizing, dwindling, lessening, lowering, minifying, reducing, subtracting (from)

Related Entry: Follow through (with) (verb)

Follow through (with) is a different word from Following. The synonyms below are for follow through (with), not for following.

  1. to carry through (as a process) to completion

    "you said you would put all of the files in order, but you didn't follow through with it"

    similar: accomplish, achieve, bring off, carry off, carry out, commit, compass, do, execute, fulfill, make, negotiate, perform, perpetrate, prosecute, pull off, put through, go through
    related: bring about, effect, effectuate, implement, ace, nail, engage (in), practice, work (at), reduplicate, reenact, repeat, actualize, attain, realize, complete, end, finish, wind up
    near: fail, skimp, slight, slur

Related Entry: Follow up (verb)

Follow up is a different word from Following. The synonyms below are for follow up, not for following.

  1. to add to or continue (something) with something similar

    "She followed up her first book with a sequel."

    similar: parlay, complement, supplement, accelerate, add (to), aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, build up, compound, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, hype, increase, multiply, pump up, raise, swell, stoke, supersize, up, complete, finish, blow up, dilate, distend, inflate, draw out, elongate, flesh (out), lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch, develop, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify, beef (up), reinforce, strengthen
    opposite: abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten, compress, condense, constrict, contract, cut back, retrench, abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, minify, reduce, subtract (from)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Following

The most common words with a similar meaning to Following:

coming, ensuing, next, succeeding, on deck, cortege, entourage, posse, retinue, suite, tail, train, audience, cult, followership, chase, chasing, dogging, hounding, pursuing, pursuit, shadowing, tagging, tailing, tracing, tracking, trailing, after, après, behind, below, next to, past, postdating, supervening, bird-dogging, coursing, running, adhering (to), complying (with)

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Following

Words with the opposite meaning of Following:

antecedent, foregoing, precedent, preceding, previous, prior, afore, ahead of, before, ere, of, previous to, prior to, to, antedating, predating, guiding, leading, piloting, defying, disobeying, rebelling (against), disregarding, ignoring, tuning out

Related Words for Following

consecutive, sequential, successive, posterior, subsequent, immediate, second, crew, personnel, staff, court, assistant, attendant, helper, retainer, discipleship, fandom, hot pursuit, tagging along, path, track, trail, search, seeking, since, displacing, replacing, superseding, supplanting, accompanying

Near Antonyms of Following

anterior, former, past, last, toward, heading, disobliging, challenging, daring, refusing, renouncing, repudiating, directing, brushing (off), overlooking, overpassing, passing over, winking (at), dismissing, pooh-poohing, shrugging off, breaching, breaking, infringing, transgressing, violating, deriding, flouting, mocking, scoffing (at)

Origin & Etymology of Following

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Following

Words & Phrases Containing Following

the following

Frequently Asked Questions about Following

What does "Following" mean?

"Following" means being next in order or time. As an an adjective, a noun, a preposition and a verb, it is defined as: being next in order or time. It has 11 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Following"?

Other words for "Following" include coming, ensuing, next, succeeding, on deck, cortege, entourage and posse. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Following" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Following"?

There are 157 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Following". Common alternatives include coming, ensuing, next, succeeding, on deck, cortege, entourage, posse, retinue and suite.

What is the opposite of "Following"?

Antonyms of "Following" include antecedent, foregoing, precedent, preceding, previous, prior, afore and ahead of. Near antonyms include anterior, former, past and last.

How do you use "Following" in a sentence?

Examples of "Following" in a sentence: "the following morning, I found the cat was gone"; "a prince with a large following to do practically everything for him"; "that rock star attracts quite a following".

Is "Following" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Following" can be used as an adjective, a noun, a preposition and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Following" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Following" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Following"?

"Following" is pronounced /ˈfä-lə-wiŋ/ and divided into syllables as fol·low·ing.