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
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.
After March saw markets plummet amid the conflict with Iran, April brought a performance for the ages—but it remains worrying that the rally was against all odds.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
The Tule and Tulare Lake groundwater subbasins were put on probation by the board in 2024 because they weren’t doing enough to control excessive pumping, which has caused levels to plummet.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Because it doesn’t spin like a slider, batters often read it as a fastball out of the pitcher’s hand—only for the ball to plummet into the dirt at the last possible moment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Had the better of Mercedes team-mate George Russell in qualifying but another poor start saw him plummet down the order to sixth.
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
All hope that this was merely an anomaly disappeared the next day, when the forces that had been battering the nation’s economy erupted in a panic on Wall Street that caused stock prices to plummet.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
