plummet
Americannoun
-
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)
verb
noun
-
another word for plumb bob
-
a lead plumb used by anglers to determine the depth of water
Other Word Forms
- unplummeted adjective
Etymology
Origin of plummet
1350–1400; (noun) Middle English plommet < Middle French, diminutive of plomb lead; (v.) derivative of the noun See plumb, -et
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.
But a series of ill-advised comments, most recently dismissing ballet and opera as art forms that "no one cares about," have seen the 30-year-old golden boy's chances plummet.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
But it would be nearly impossible to build quickly enough for home values to plummet.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
Even if your income were to plummet by 50%, you would still receive $250,000 to $400,000 per year in passive income — an amount that exceeds what most retirees comfortably live on.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026
Many were "thrown into bags without care", causing damage that would make the value plummet, he said.
From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026
Failure warnings were already flashing on my display, and my hit-point counter was starting to plummet.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
