fallen
Americanverb
adjective
-
having dropped or come down from a higher place, from an upright position, or from a higher level, degree, amount, quality, value, number, etc.
-
on the ground; prostrate; down flat.
Exhausted, the racers lay fallen by the road.
-
degraded or immoral.
-
(of a woman) having lost her chastity.
-
overthrown, destroyed, or conquered.
a fallen city.
-
dead.
fallen troops.
verb
adjective
-
having sunk in reputation or honour
a fallen woman
-
killed in battle with glory
our fallen heroes
-
defeated
Other Word Forms
- unfallen adjective
Etymology
Origin of fallen
First recorded before 900, for the adjective
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.
Kering’s shares have risen sharply since his appointment—by roughly 60%—a rally that investors say reflects not just optimism about new leadership but also how far the stock had already fallen.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
By the last quarter of 2025, that share had fallen to approximately 2.3%.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
That’s because the cost of Chinese solar panels and batteries has fallen.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
She does not understand how she could have fallen overboard and disappeared and asked that authorities thoroughly investigate the incident.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
A few faded petals clung now to the new-leafed branches, but most of the Bride’s flowers had fallen, forming a wilted carpet beneath us.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
