1 A2 neutral
To follow in time, order, or sequence.
"The dessert comes after the main course in a traditional meal."
inseparable
come after
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
To follow something in order or sequence; or to pursue or try to catch someone.
In plain English
To be next after something; or to chase someone.
What does "come after" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To pursue or try to catch someone; to go after someone with hostile or determined intent.
"If you owe him money, he will come after you until he gets it back."
“
They will come after you — so you have to be ready.
— Breaking Bad, Season 4, Episode 6 (AMC, 2011)
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Fully transparent: to come in a position after something or to physically follow behind someone.
Actually means
To be next after something; or to chase someone.
Usage tip
Two clear senses: sequential ('Tuesday comes after Monday') and pursuit ('the police came after him'). The sequential sense is very common and A2-level. The pursuit sense is B1 and slightly more dramatic in tone.
Words that pair with "come after"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
him her them Monday the first dinner
How to conjugate "come after"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
come after
I/you/we/they
3rd person
comes after
he/she/it
Past simple
came after
yesterday
Past participle
come after
have + pp
-ing form
coming after
continuous
Hear "come after" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "come after" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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