phrasal verb · informal

fall for (someone)

UK/fɔːl fɔː(r) ˈsʌmwʌn/US/fɔl fɔr ˈsʌmwʌn/FALL

speakingtask2

to begin to have romantic feelings for someone; also to be deceived (by a trick)

Examples

He fell for her during the summer holiday.

She fell for an online scam and lost money.

I think I'm falling for him — it's getting serious.

Band 8 sentence

I didn't expect to fall for him; it happened gradually over a few months.

Collocations

  • fall for someone
  • fall for a scam

Word family

fall for someone verb phrasefell for verb (past)falling for verb (continuous)

Common mistakes

fall for = fall in love (always)fall for (can mean be deceived or begin to like)

I fall for him yesterdayI fell for him yesterday

Say it for a higher band

5like someone6fall in love with7+fall for (someone)

Synonyms

fall in love with

be smitten with

Easily confused

fall in love with

He fell in love with her at university.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In Relationships

Learn it with its set