plummet
Americannoun
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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.
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something that weighs down or depresses.
verb (used without object)
verb
noun
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another word for plumb bob
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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
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have been plummetingperfect progressive
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has been plummetingperfect progressive
Past
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plummetedsimple
-
had plummetedperfect
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was plummetingprogressive
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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.
Your core temperature continues to plummet because the chilled blood from your extremities returns to your heart.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026
UnitedHealth is trying to come back from a plummet in the healthcare giant’s share price that began in spring 2025 on missed earnings expectations and concerns about higher medical costs.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
When RuPaul arrives as President Judy Gagwell, tasked with saving the train or seeing her approval ratings plummet, the script begins to sing . . . just before it sinks.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
The trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic closures led to even greater challenges for the city’s theater community as sales to live shows continued to plummet, arts grants were canceled and audiences dwindled.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Babou hoisted himself onto the roof, teetering for a moment at the top, and I was convinced I was about to witness my grandfather plummet to his death off his own rooftop.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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.
