- past participle of fall.
fallen
Americanverb
adjective
-
having dropped or come down from a higher place, from an upright position, or from a higher level, degree, amount, quality, value, number, etc.
-
on the ground; prostrate; down flat.
Exhausted, the racers lay fallen by the road.
-
degraded or immoral.
-
(of a woman) having lost her chastity.
-
overthrown, destroyed, or conquered.
a fallen city.
-
dead.
fallen troops.
verb
adjective
-
having sunk in reputation or honour
a fallen woman
-
killed in battle with glory
our fallen heroes
-
defeated
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fallen
First recorded before 900, for the adjective
Explanation
Something that's fallen has dropped to the ground. You might collect fallen apples to make into cider or applesauce. The most literal sense of something fallen is just what it sounds like — an object that's moved from a high place to a lower place, usually due to gravity. There are also some figurative meanings: a fallen soldier has died on the battlefield, and a fallen person has committed a moral sin or ruined his reputation. In the 17th century, fallen frequently meant "morally ruined," more often describing a women than a man.
Vocabulary lists containing fallen
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We do not believe investors have fallen out of love with pharma, it is just that many believe the sector is up with events for now,” the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Reflecting on his time in political life, he said: "I haven't got everything right and I'm sorry where I've fallen short. But I have always given it my all and I always will."
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Fittingly, the last scene Connor and Locke filmed as Nick and Charlie was the anniversary scene in the park where there is a fallen tree with the letters “N+C” carved into the trunk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Coal's share in electricity production has also fallen -- from around 90 percent in 2008 to nearly 50 percent today.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“It’s under one of the fallen trees,” he said.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
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.
