plummet
Americannoun
-
plummets
plural
-
Also called plumb bob. a piece of lead or some other weight attached to a line, used for determining perpendicularity, for sounding, etc.; the bob of a plumb line.
-
something that weighs down or depresses.
verb (used without object)
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plummets,
present (3rd person singular)
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plummeted,
past participle, past
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plummeting
present participle
verb
noun
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another word for plumb bob
-
a lead plumb used by anglers to determine the depth of water
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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plummetsimple
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plummetssimple
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have plummetedperfect
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has plummetedperfect
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am plummetingprogressive
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are plummetingprogressive
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is plummetingprogressive
-
have been plummetingperfect progressive
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has been plummetingperfect progressive
Past
-
plummetedsimple
-
had plummetedperfect
-
was plummetingprogressive
-
were plummetingprogressive
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had been plummetingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of plummet
1350–1400; (noun) Middle English plommet < Middle French, diminutive of plomb lead; (v.) derivative of the noun See plumb, -et
Explanation
The verb plummet means "to drop sharply," like eagles that plummet toward earth, seeking prey, or school attendance that plummets when there is a flu outbreak. To correctly pronounce plummet, say "PLUH-met." This verb describes something that drops sharply or quickly, like a roller coaster that plummets down a hill, temperatures that plummet overnight, or sales of roses and candy that plummet after Valentine's Day. If something plummets, this doesn't mean it will stay down or low forever, just that it has experienced a sharp drop.
Vocabulary lists containing plummet
List 8
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The Lightning Thief
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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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.
See Examples For:
Like something from King Arthur, a 200-year-old sword was found sticking out from a castle's lake after hot weather caused water levels to plummet.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
PayPal has seen growth in branded checkout slow down and its stock plummet more than 25% over a year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Seven months later, when the tool was released, its advances sparked a freakout in Silicon Valley, causing tech stocks to plummet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Most comedies plummet halfway through their second act.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
He watched it plummet and soar out to cast its shadow over the roadway below, and over the roof of a carriage.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
If we look at matches against modern-day heavyweights Australia and India, Root plummets down the list even further - down in 10th, with twice as many losses as wins.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
She doesn’t need the imprimatur of an established brand to maintain an audience; as trust in institutions plummets, such affiliations can even be a turnoff.
From Slate ● May 6, 2026
Indeed, once m’lord activates Infinity Mode, range plummets below 200 miles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
Lyft’s stock plummets on weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue and modest guidance.
From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026
The lump in my throat plummets to my stomach.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
In March 2000, as the bubble burst, shares of companies in the business of transmitting data, or networking, plummeted too.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
On the other side, the biggest night of Conor Benn's career plummeted into freefall.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Elite schools are confident students will accept admission offers, so acceptance rates have plummeted to 4% at some schools.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
It said the torrent plummeted rapidly, forming a massive debris flow that travelled more than 20 kilometres before crashing into Gyirong Port.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
Open-mouthed, Taran watched while the shaft began its descent: as the arrow plummeted to earth, long, silvery streamers sprang from its feathers.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
The nadir, arguably, was when they were forced to play matches away from Coventry, at Northampton Town, before later plummeting down to the fourth tier for the first time in 59 years in 2017.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Long-standing Olvera Street businesses are grappling with low foot traffic, plummeting sales and falling behind on rent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Each attempt went bust when global economic downturns cratered the semiconductor market and sent chip prices plummeting.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
And later: why Bitcoin’s plummeting price is costing Eric Trump hundreds of million of dollars.
From Slate ● Jul. 11, 2026
Men and women scrambling down hemp ladders, dangling and dropping like fleas jumping from a dog, plummeting into the increasing surf.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
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.
