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.
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
Macro pressures caused some quantum stocks to plummet as much as 60% from their peaks earlier this year, and shares “remain vulnerable to sharp de-rating.”
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
The refinery lost more than $200 million in 2020, for example, when the Covid-19 pandemic caused fuel demand to plummet.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 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
My hand itches toward a weapon, but I resist—I have to keep hold of the ropes so we don’t plummet to the desert floor.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
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.
