cliff

¹ American  

[klif] / klɪf /

noun

1. a high steep face of a rock.

   Synonyms:

   crag, ledge, promontory, bluff

2. a critical point or situation beyond which something bad or undesirable may occur.

   The committee is right up to the cliff with no deal in sight.

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Cliff ² American  

[klif] / klɪf /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Clifford or Clifton.

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cliff British  

/ klɪf /

noun

1. a steep high rock face, esp one that runs along the seashore and has the strata exposed

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Other Word Forms

• clifflike adjective
• cliffy adjective

Etymology

Origin of cliff

before 900; Middle English clif, Old English, cognate with Dutch, Low German, Old Norse klif

Example Sentences

The drug faces a so-called patent cliff in 2028, when protections are set to expire, opening the door to competition from copycat drugs called biosimilars.

From Barron's

When I stand up to peek over the cliff, I see Titus and Denny with their hands cupped around their mouths.

From Literature

At the box office, “Iron Lung” might fall off a cliff now that Fischbach’s fans have done their part on opening weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal

She had flown over a portion of the forest to a cliff, which led down to a sandy cove where boats often moored.

From Literature

It wasn’t what I’d have imagined as a boy: a castle on a lonely cliff, scholars in robes rushing down stone stairways with heavy books.

From Literature

Related Words

• bluff
• crag
• precipice
• wall