follower

See also: Follower

English

Etymology

From Middle English folwer, folwere, folȝere, from Old English folgere (“follower; attendant; disciple”), equivalent to follow +‎ -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Foulger, West Frisian folger, Dutch volger, German Folger, Swedish följare.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

follower (plural followers)

1. (literally) One who follows, comes after another.
2. Something that comes after another thing.
3. One who is a part of master's physical group, such as a servant or retainer.
5. One who follows mentally, adherer to the opinions, ideas or teachings of another, a movement etc.

   Synonyms: adherent, disciple

6. An imitator, who follows another's example.
7. A pursuer.
8. (social media) An account holder who subscribes to see content from another account on a social media platform.

   Coordinate term: followee

   I have over 50 followers on Twitter, but all my tweets only get 10 likes.

   • 2012, “Amen”, in Dreamchasers 2, performed by Meek Mill ft. Drake:

     Talking bout these other rappers getting old is even getting old / Worrying about your followers, you need to get your dollars up

9. A machine part receiving motion from another.
   2. A tappet.
10. A man courting a maidservant; a suitor.
11. Young cattle.
12. A metal piece placed at the top of a candle to keep the wax melting evenly.
13. (Australian rules football) Any of the three players (the ruckman, ruck rover, and rover) who usually follow the ball around the ground rather than occupying a fixed position.
14. (colloquial, dated) A debt collector.
15. (locksmithing) A tool used to remove the core from a pin-tumbler lock without causing the driver pins and springs to fall out.

Antonyms

• leader
• precursor

Derived terms

• camp follower
• Christfollower
• cult follower
• fast follower
• followership
• nonfollower
• rule-follower

Related terms

• following

Descendants

• → Ukrainian: фоловер (folover)

Translations

one who follows

• Afrikaans: volgger
• Albanian: ithtar (sq)
• Arabic: تَابِع m (tābiʕ)

  Egyptian Arabic: تابع m (tābiʕ), مرمطون m (marmaṭūn)

• Belarusian: паслядо́ўнік m (pasljadóŭnik), паслядо́ўніца f (pasljadóŭnica)
• Bulgarian: после́довател (bg) m (poslédovatel)
• Catalan: seguidor (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 追隨者 / 追随者 (zh) (zhuīsuízhě)

• Danish: efterfølger (da) c
• Dutch: volger (nl) m, navolger (nl) m
• Finnish: seuraaja (fi)
• Galician: seguidor m
• Georgian: მიმყოლი (mimq̇oli)
• German: Nachfolger (de) m, Nachfolgerin (de) f
• Greek: ακόλουθος (el) m (akólouthos)

  Ancient: ἀκόλουθος m (akólouthos)

• Guaraní: tembiguái
• Hindi: अनुयायी (hi) m (anuyāyī), अनुगामी (hi) m (anugāmī)
• Hungarian: követő (hu)
• Japanese: 支持者 (しじしゃ, shijisha)
• Korean: 추종자(追從者) (chujongja), 신봉자(信奉者) (sinbongja), 지지자(支持者) (jijija)
• Latin: sectātor m
• Macedonian: сле́дач m (slédač)
• Norn: efterman
• Old English: folgere m
• Portuguese: seguidor (pt) m
• Russian: после́дователь (ru) m (poslédovatelʹ), после́довательница (ru) f (poslédovatelʹnica)
• Spanish: seguidor (es) m
• Swahili: mfuasi (sw)
• Swedish: följare (sv) c, följeslagare (sv) c
• Tagalog: tagasunod
• Turkish: takipçi (tr)
• Ukrainian: послідо́вник (uk) m (poslidóvnyk), послідо́вниця f (poslidóvnycja)

thing that comes after another thing

• Danish: efterfølger (da) c
• Dutch: volgende (nl) m or n
• Finnish: seuraaja (fi)
• Greek: ακόλουθο n (akóloutho)
• Portuguese: sequência (pt) f
• Swedish: efterföljare (sv) c, efterträdare (sv) c

one who is a part of a master's physical group, such as a servant or retainer

• Albanian: ithtar (sq)
• Bulgarian: придружи́тел (bg) m (pridružítel)
• Danish: ledsager c, følgesvend c
• Dutch: gevolgsman m
• Egyptian: (šmsw)
• Finnish: seuraaja (fi)
• Greek: ακόλουθος (el) m (akólouthos)

  Ancient: ἀμορβός m (amorbós)

• Hindi: अनुयायी (hi) m (anuyāyī)
• Macedonian: при́дружник m (prídružnik)
• Maori: kaitautāwhi
• Middle English: servaunt
• Portuguese: seguidor (pt) m

one who adheres to the opinions, ideas or teachings of another

• Albanian: ithtar (sq)
• Bulgarian: после́довател (bg) m (poslédovatel)
• Danish: tilhænger c, medløber c, eftersnakker c
• Dutch: volgeling (nl) m, discipel (nl) m
• Finnish: kannattaja (fi)
• French: disciple (fr) m
• Georgian: მომხრე (momxre)
• German: Anhänger (de) m
• Gothic: 𐍃𐌹𐍀𐍉𐌽𐌴𐌹𐍃 m (sipōneis), 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰 m (galaista)
• Greek: ακόλουθος (el) m (akólouthos), οπαδός (el) m (opadós)
• Guaraní: tembiguái
• Latin: sectātor m
• Macedonian: сле́дбеник m (slédbenik), привр́заник m (privŕzanik)
• Maore Comorian: mutru class 1/2
• Maori: kaitautāwhi, wheao
• Middle English: servaunt
• Polish: wyznawca (pl) m
• Portuguese: seguidor (pt) m, seguidora f
• Russian: сторо́нник (ru) m (storónnik), сторо́нница (ru) f (storónnica), после́дователь (ru) m (poslédovatelʹ), после́довательница (ru) f (poslédovatelʹnica)
• Spanish: seguidor (es) m, seguidora (es) f
• Swahili: mfuasi (sw)
• Swedish: anhängare (sv) c
• Tagalog: tagasunod
• Ukrainian: послідо́вник (uk) m (poslidóvnyk), послідо́вниця f (poslidóvnycja)

imitator

• Dutch: imitator (nl) m, navolger (nl) m
• Finnish: matkija (fi)
• Spanish: imitador (es)

pursuer

• Bulgarian: преследва́ч m (presledváč)
• Danish: forfølger c
• Finnish: jahtaaja (fi), seuraaja (fi)
• Macedonian: просле́дувач m (prosléduvač)
• Russian: пресле́дователь (ru) m (preslédovatelʹ), пресле́довательница (ru) f (preslédovatelʹnica)
• Spanish: seguidor (es) m, seguidora (es) f
• Swahili: mfuasi (sw)
• Swedish: förföljare (sv) c

internet: social media consumer

• Arabic: مُتَابِع m (mutābiʕ)
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 粉絲 / 粉丝 (zh) (fěnsī)

• Finnish: seuraaja (fi)
• French: follower (fr) m, abonné (fr) m, abonnée (fr) f
• Galician: seguidor m, seguidora f
• German: Follower (de) m
• Greek: please add this translation if you can
• Hebrew: עוֹקֵב (he) m ('oqév)
• Italian: follower (it) (loanword), seguace (it), seguitore
• Japanese: フォロワー (ja) (forowā)
• Korean: 팔로워 (pallowo)
• Macedonian: сле́дбеник m (slédbenik)
• Portuguese: seguidor (pt) m, seguidora f
• Russian: подпи́счик (ru) m (podpísčik), подпи́счица (ru) f (podpísčica), фо́лловер (ru) m (fóllover) (neologism), фолло́вер (ru) m (follóver) (neologism)
• Serbo-Croatian: pratitelj (sh)
• Spanish: seguidor (es) m, seguidora (es) f
• Swahili: mfuasi (sw)
• Swedish: följare (sv) c

man courting a maidservant

young cattle

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} poursuivant (fr) m, ^{(please verify)} suivant (fr) m, suiveur (fr) m

Anagrams

• fowl-lore, refollow

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English follower.

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): /fɔ.lɔ.wœʁ/

Noun

follower m (plural followers)

1. (social media) follower

   Synonym: abonné

   • 2025 June, Benoît Bréville, “Tous influenceurs !”, in Le Monde diplomatique, →ISSN, page 21:

     M. Macron avec ses 4,5 millions de « followers » sur Instagram peut presque revendiquer — dans ce franglais qu'il affectionne — le titre de « big boss » des influenceurs français.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Pronunciation 2

• IPA^(key): /fɔ.lɔ.we/

Verb

follower

1. (social media) to follow

   Synonym: follow

Conjugation

Conjugation of follower (see also Appendix:French verbs)

infinitive	simple	follower
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1	simple	followant /fɔ.lɔ.wɑ̃/
	compound	ayant + past participle
past participle		followé /fɔ.lɔ.we/
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		je (j’)	tu	il, elle, on	nous	vous	ils, elles
(simple tenses)	present	followe /fɔ.lɔw/	followes /fɔ.lɔw/	followe /fɔ.lɔw/	followons /fɔ.lɔ.wɔ̃/	followez /fɔ.lɔ.we/	followent /fɔ.lɔw/
	imperfect	followais /fɔ.lɔ.wɛ/	followais /fɔ.lɔ.wɛ/	followait /fɔ.lɔ.wɛ/	followions /fɔ.lɔ.wjɔ̃/	followiez /fɔ.lɔ.wje/	followaient /fɔ.lɔ.wɛ/
	past historic2	followai /fɔ.lɔ.we/	followas /fɔ.lɔ.wa/	followa /fɔ.lɔ.wa/	followâmes /fɔ.lɔ.wam/	followâtes /fɔ.lɔ.wat/	followèrent /fɔ.lɔ.wɛʁ/
	future	followerai /fɔ.lɔw.ʁe/	followeras /fɔ.lɔw.ʁa/	followera /fɔ.lɔw.ʁa/	followerons /fɔ.lɔw.ʁɔ̃/	followerez /fɔ.lɔw.ʁe/	followeront /fɔ.lɔw.ʁɔ̃/
	conditional	followerais /fɔ.lɔw.ʁɛ/	followerais /fɔ.lɔw.ʁɛ/	followerait /fɔ.lɔw.ʁɛ/	followerions /fɔ.lɔ.wə.ʁjɔ̃/	followeriez /fɔ.lɔ.wə.ʁje/	followeraient /fɔ.lɔw.ʁɛ/
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior2	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que je (j’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	followe /fɔ.lɔw/	followes /fɔ.lɔw/	followe /fɔ.lɔw/	followions /fɔ.lɔ.wjɔ̃/	followiez /fɔ.lɔ.wje/	followent /fɔ.lɔw/
	imperfect2	followasse /fɔ.lɔ.was/	followasses /fɔ.lɔ.was/	followât /fɔ.lɔ.wa/	followassions /fɔ.lɔ.wa.sjɔ̃/	followassiez /fɔ.lɔ.wa.sje/	followassent /fɔ.lɔ.was/
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect2	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	followe /fɔ.lɔw/	—	followons /fɔ.lɔ.wɔ̃/	followez /fɔ.lɔ.we/	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way: past historic → present perfect past anterior → pluperfect imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).