befell
Happened to someone
Befell is the past tense of befall, meaning to happen to someone, usually something bad or momentous: A terrible fate befell the expedition.
The word carries a literary or archaic tone, suggesting events that strike from outside rather than choices made: What befell him after the war remains unknown.
Disastrous or sorrowful event
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- disasterSudden ruinous event
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
- catastropheDevastating, large-scale misfortune
hardship · woe · affliction · tribulation · misery · ruin · loss · setback
Occurring without prior notice
- unforeseenNot predicted or expected
- shockViolent sudden disturbance
- abruptSharp and unexpected
- unanticipatedNot predicted beforehand
chance · twist · fateful · ill-fated · unlooked-for · surprise · startling · unpredictable
tragedy
Disastrous or sorrowful event
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- disasterSudden ruinous event
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
catastrophe · hardship · woe · affliction · tribulation · misery · ruin · loss · setback · grief
sudden
Occurring without prior notice
- unforeseenNot predicted or expected
- shockViolent sudden disturbance
- abruptSharp and unexpected
unanticipated · chance · twist · fateful · ill-fated · unlooked-for · surprise · startling · unpredictable · random
tale
Spoken or written narrative
legend · fable · myth · story · recounting · account · plot · protagonist · fate · hero
ancient
Very old indeed
era · antiquity · dynasty · chronicle · annals · legend · lore · ancestry · heritage · olden