to drop or descend under the force of gravity, as to a lower place through loss or lack of support.
to come or drop down suddenly to a lower position, especially to leave a standing or erect position suddenly, whether voluntarily or not.
to fall on one's knees.
to become less or lower; become of a lower level, degree, amount, quality, value, number, etc.; decline.
The temperature fell ten degrees.
Stock prices fell to a new low for the year.
to subside or abate.
extend downward; hang down.
Her hair falls to her shoulders.
to become lowered or directed downward, as the eyes.
My eyes fell before his steady gaze.
to become lower in pitch or volume.
Her voice fell, and she looked about in confusion.
to succumb to temptation or sin, especially to become unchaste or to lose one's innocence.
to lose status, dignity, position, character, etc.
to succumb to attack.
The city fell to the enemy.
to be overthrown, as a government.
to drop down wounded or dead, especially to be slain.
to fall in battle.
to pass into some physical, mental, or emotional condition.
to fall asleep; to fall in love.
to envelop or come as if by dropping, as stillness or night.
to issue forth.
Witty remarks fall easily from his lips.
to come by lot or chance.
The chore fell to him.
to come by chance into a particular position.
to fall among thieves.
to come to pass, occur, or become at a certain time.
Christmas falls on a Monday this year.
The rent falls due the first of every month.
to have its proper place.
The accent falls on the last syllable.
to come by right.
The inheritance fell to the only living relative.
to be naturally divisible (usually followed byinto ).
The story fell into two distinct parts.
to lose animation; appear disappointed, as the face.
His face fell when he heard the bad news.
to slope or extend in a downward direction.
The field falls gently to the river.
to be directed, as light, sight, etc., on something.
His eyes fell upon the note on the desk.
to collapse, as through weakness, damage, poor construction, or the like; topple or sink.
The old tower fell under its own weight.
The cake fell when he slammed the oven door.
(of an animal, especially a lamb) to be born.
Two lambs fell yesterday.
an act or instance of falling or dropping from a higher to a lower place or position.
that which falls or drops.
a heavy fall of rain.
the season of the year that comes after summer and before winter; autumn.
a becoming less; a lowering or decline; a sinking to a lower level.
the fall of the Roman Empire.
the distance through which anything falls.
It is a long fall to the ground from this height.
Usually falls a cataract or waterfall.
downward slope or declivity.
the gentle rise and fall of the meadow.
a falling from an erect position, as to the ground.
to have a bad fall.
a hanging down.
a fall of long hair.
a succumbing to temptation; lapse into sin.
(sometimes lowercase) the Fall, the lapse of human beings into a state of natural or innate sinfulness through the sin of Adam and Eve.
Slang. an arrest by the police.
surrender or capture, as of a city.
proper place.
the fall of an accent on a syllable.
Wrestling.
an act or instance of holding or forcing an opponent's shoulders against the mat for a specified length of time.
a match or division of a match.
a hairpiece consisting of long hair that is attached to one's own hair at the crown and usually allowed to hang freely down the back of the head so as to cover or blend with the natural hair.
an opaque veil hanging loose from the back of a hat.
a decorative cascade of lace, ruffles, or the like.
Machinery, Nautical. the part of the rope of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting.
Hunting. a deadfall.
the long soft hair that hangs over the forehead and eyes of certain terriers.
Armor. a pivoted peak projecting over the face opening of a burgonet.
Astrology. the sign of the zodiac in which the most negative influence of a planet is expressed (opposed to exaltation).
Mining. rock or ore that has collapsed from a roof, hanging wall, or the sides of a passage.
fall through to come to nothing; fail of realization.
Despite all his efforts, the deal fell through.
fall off
to separate from; withdraw.
to decrease in number, amount, or intensity; diminish.
Tourism falls off when the summer is over.
Nautical. to deviate from the heading; fall to leeward.
South Midland and Southern U.S. to lose weight, usually due to illness.
She was sick all winter and fell off till she was just skin and bones.
fall back to give way; recede; retreat.
The relentless shelling forced the enemy to fall back.
fall for
to be deceived by.
Imagine falling for such an old trick.
to fall in love with.
He's not at all the type you would expect her to fall for.
fall behind
to lag, in pace or progress.
We are falling behind in our work. Fatigued, some of the marchers fell behind.
to fail to pay (a debt, obligation, etc.) at the appointed time.
She fell behind in her tax payments, and the property was confiscated.
fall under
to be the concern or responsibility of.
to be classified as; be included within.
That case falls under the heading of errors of judgment.
fall on / upon
to assault; attack.
The enemy fell on them suddenly from the rear.
to be the obligation of.
It has fallen on me to support the family.
to experience; encounter.
Once well-to-do, they had fallen on hard times.
to chance upon; come upon.
I fell upon the idea while looking through a magazine.
fall in
to fall to pieces toward the interior; sink inward.
to take one's place in the ranks, as a soldier.
Also fall in with to become acquainted with, especially by chance.
We fell in with an interesting couple from Paris.
fall out
to quarrel; disagree.
We fell out over who was to wash the dishes.
to happen; occur.
It fell out that we met by chance weeks later.
to leave one's place in the ranks, as a soldier.
They were ordered to fall out when the parade ended.
Slang. to burst out laughing.
South Midland and Southern U.S. to become unconscious; pass out.
fall to
to apply oneself; begin.
to fall to work.
to begin to eat.
They fell to and soon finished off the entire turkey.
fall back on / upon
Also fall back to to retreat to.
They fell back on their entrenchments. The troops fell back to their original position.
to have recourse to; rely on.
They had no savings to fall back on.
fall down to perform disappointingly; to disappoint; fail.
He was doing well on the exam until he fell down on the last essay question.
fall away
to withdraw support or allegiance.
The candidate's supporters fell away when he advocated racial discrimination.
to become lean or thin; diminish; decline.
to forsake one's faith, cause, or principles.
Many fell away because they were afraid of reprisals.
fall off the roof, to menstruate.
fall / come short. short.
fall foul / afoul of. foul.
fall over backward(s),
bend.
to exhibit great eagerness, especially in pursuit of one's own advantage.
The candidate fell over backward in support of the issues that would win votes.
fall out of bed, to get out of bed quickly.
fall / land on one's feet. feet.
fall all over oneself, to show unusual or excessive enthusiasm or eagerness, especially in the hope of being favored or rewarded: Also fall over oneself
The young trainees fell all over themselves to praise the boss's speech.
to descend by the force of gravity from a higher to a lower place
to drop suddenly from an erect position
to collapse to the ground, esp in pieces
to become less or lower in number, quality, etc
prices fell in the summer
to become lower in pitch
to extend downwards
her hair fell to her waist
to be badly wounded or killed
to slope in a downward direction
Christianity to yield to temptation or sin
to diminish in status, estimation, etc
to yield to attack
the city fell under the assault
to lose power
the government fell after the riots
to pass into or take on a specified condition
to fall asleep
fall in love
to adopt a despondent expression
her face fell
to be averted
her gaze fell
to come by chance or presumption
suspicion fell on the butler
to occur; take place
night fell
Easter falls early this year
(of payments) to be due
to be directed to a specific point
to move in a specified direction
to occur at a specified place
the accent falls on the last syllable
(foll by to) to return (to); be inherited (by)
the estate falls to the eldest son
to be classified or included
the subject falls into two main areas
to issue forth
a curse fell from her lips
(of animals, esp lambs) to be born
dialect to become pregnant
dialect (tr) to fell (trees)
cricket (of a batsman's wicket) to be taken by the bowling side
the sixth wicket fell for 96
archaic to begin to do
fall a-doing
fall to doing
to fail to achieve a desired effect
to come into conflict with
nautical to come into collision with
to prove inadequate
(often foll by of) to fail to reach or measure up to (a standard)
an act or instance of falling
something that falls
a fall of snow
autumn
the distance that something falls
a hundred-foot fall
a sudden drop from an upright position
(often plural)
a waterfall or cataract
( capital when part of a name )
Niagara Falls
a downward slope or decline
a decrease in value, number, etc
a decline in status or importance
a moral lapse or failing
a capture or overthrow
the fall of the city
a long false hairpiece; switch
a piece of loosely hanging material, such as a veil on a hat
machinery nautical the end of a tackle to which power is applied to hoist it
nautical one of the lines of a davit for holding, lowering, or raising a boat
Also called: pinfall. wrestling a scoring move, pinning both shoulders of one's opponent to the floor for a specified period
hunting
another word for deadfall
( as modifier )
a fall trap
the birth of an animal
the animals produced at a single birth
slang to be blamed, punished, or imprisoned
First recorded before 900; Middle English fallen, Old English feallan; cognate with German fallen, Old Norse falla; akin to Lithuanian pùlti “to fall”
Looking at the multitude of meanings for the word fall, one thing comes clear: the word is most often associated with a drop or descent of some kind, whether that be a physical fall from a high place or a metaphorical fall from power or grace. In the 16th Century, autumn was known as "the fall of the leaf," which later became just fall, but the actual word is much older than that, traceable to the Old English feallan. Many meanings, including a fall in temperature, to fall in love or to fall asleep, all stem from the Middle Ages. If you're the "fall guy," you're going to get blamed, or "take the fall." If you fall in love and then fall out of favor with your beloved, your next action might fall under the category of "gift giving" or just "kissing up."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The decline in borrowing during June was largely due to a fall in interest payments to 11.8 billion pounds, down 5.3 billion pounds from the same month last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Israeli intelligence believes Iran moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into tunnels deep inside Pickaxe Mountain last fall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Since then, he has shifted to buying stocks when they fall and selling them when they rise a few days later.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Bravo has not yet announced a release date for Season 7 of “RHOSLC,” but the forthcoming season wrapped filming in May and is expected to air this fall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
It was Sunday, May 10, 1942, exactly two years after the fall of Holland.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Once inside the park before 8 a.m., their first stop was the Bridalveil Fall Trail, a short trek that takes visitors right to the base of the thundering cascade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
And the 1943 cut-out “The Fall of Icarus,” on loan from a private collection, has a red-hearted figure tumbling through a vertical black tunnel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Author and broadcaster PJ Harrison, who last year released the biography Gallagher: The Rise and Fall of Oasis, finds the process of pop songs being adopted by football fans fascinating.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
In 2018, a teenager visiting from Israel fell to his death while trying to take a selfie at the edge of the Nevada Fall, according to the Fresno Bee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
Because Principal Rivera excluded us from the Fall Fiesta talent show for being too loud and not being good enough for the anniversary show.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
They set their campsite up at Upper Pines, a campground in the valley, and headed out early on the Mist Trail, which takes hikers to Vernal and Nevada falls via its large stone steps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
That disk acts as the final reservoir of material before gas falls inward and fuels the black hole.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
He rises and falls at the same pace as his companion in this nightmare, laying the groundwork on which Adjani can create something so enormous.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
GE Aerospace’s stock falls after earnings, again, with recently rapid order-book growth slowing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
His face falls, and I immediately wanna take it back.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
June's borrowing figure was helped by higher revenues from income tax and VAT, while interest payments on inflation-linked debt fell.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Treasurys fell, sending yields higher in a quiet week for U.S. economic data and Fed speakers, with policymakers in a blackout period ahead of next Wednesday’s interest-rate decision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
On Monday, its stock fell 2% to $67.60.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Net profit fell by 19 percent to $3.2 billion, hit by higher interest and tax expenses, the group explained.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
“You seen the pitcher fall before it actually fell, Lala?”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
The company’s shares have fallen 34% so far this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Shares of Iren have fallen 31% in the past month.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
The European Commission said AliExpress has fallen short of its legal obligations "diligently assess" the risk of illegal, unsafe or fake goods on its platform.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Local enthusiasm for the tournament had fallen away after co-hosts the United States were knocked out by Belgium on July 6, but tickets for the final still became the costliest in US sporting history.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Quickly they hauled the troll out and began shoveling leaves over the place where he had fallen.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Historically, gold has tended to perform best when “real,” inflation-adjusted interest rates are falling, says Giovanni Staunovo, commodities strategist for the UBS Chief Investment Office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
“And why I bring that up is, you know, there’s a lot of misconceptions and tropes about who student loan borrowers are, and who are the ones who are falling behind.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Now, the murder rate is falling back in line with other crime trends, many of which are also among the lowest ever recorded.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Gold eased despite the geopolitical uncertainty, falling 0.25 percent, while silver advanced a little over one percent.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
The possibility of a closed brain injury is why doctors fuss if you bang your head falling off a bicycle or crashing a car or getting hit hard in the head with anything.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
