fall
Noun:
- A sudden movement downward, typically from a higher to a lower level: The act of dropping or descending, often due to gravity.
- A decrease or decline in amount, value, or strength: A reduction in level, intensity, or importance.
- The act of being defeated or overthrown: The collapse or loss of power of a government, empire, or person.
- A lapse into sin or moral failure: A loss of innocence or virtue.
- Autumn: The season between summer and winter when leaves fall from many trees.
Verb:
- To move downward, typically rapidly and freely, under the influence of gravity: To drop from a higher to a lower position.
- To decrease in number, amount, intensity, or value: To become lower or less.
- To pass into a specified state, often suddenly or passively: To become something, especially a condition like asleep, ill, or silent.
- To occur at a specified time or place: To happen or be situated.
- To be defeated or captured: To succumb to an enemy or opposing force.
- To come into the possession of someone by chance, inheritance, or assignment: To become someone's responsibility or property.
Noun:
- He survived a fall from the third floor. (He survived dropping from the third floor.)
- There was a sharp fall in stock prices. (There was a sharp decrease in stock prices.)
- The fall of the Roman Empire took centuries. (The collapse of the Roman Empire took centuries.)
- The story is about a man's fall from grace. (The story is about a man's moral failure.)
- I love the colors of fall. (I love the colors of autumn.)
Verb:
- The apple will fall from the tree. (The apple will drop from the tree.)
- Demand for the product began to fall. (Demand for the product began to decrease.)
- She fell ill last week. (She became ill last week.)
- My birthday falls on a Saturday this year. (My birthday happens on a Saturday this year.)
- The city fell after a long siege. (The city was captured after a long siege.)
- The responsibility fell to the youngest member. (The responsibility became the youngest member's.)
"fall into": to begin to be in a particular state or to be classified into a category.
- He fell into a deep sleep. (He began to be in a deep sleep.)
- These items fall into three main groups. (These items are classified into three main groups.)
"fall on/upon": to attack eagerly, or to be the responsibility of someone.
- The children fell on the food as soon as it arrived. (The children eagerly attacked the food.)
- The duty of organizing the event fell on me. (The responsibility for organizing the event was given to me.)
"fall for": to be deceived by something, or to develop strong feelings of love for someone.
- Don't fall for that old trick. (Don't be deceived by that old trick.)
- He fell for her the moment they met. (He began to love her the moment they met.)
Fallen (adj): having dropped or come down; morally degraded.
- fallen leaves (leaves that have dropped)
- a fallen woman (a woman considered to have lost her moral standing)
Falling (adj/n): moving downward; the act of dropping.
- falling rocks (rocks that are moving downward)
- the falling of rain (the act of rain dropping)
Waterfall (n): a steep descent of water from a height. (Note: This is a compound word listed as a variant.)
- Nightfall (n): the onset of night; dusk.
- Pitfall (n): a hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty.
- Drop (v/n): to fall or let fall vertically; a small round mass of liquid.
- Descend (v): to move or fall downward.
- Decrease (v/n): to become smaller or fewer; a reduction.
- Collapse (v/n): to fall down or give way suddenly; a sudden failure.
- Autumn (n): the season after summer and before winter.
Fall apart: to break into pieces; to become emotionally unable to cope.
- The old book fell apart in my hands. (The old book broke into pieces.)
- She fell apart after hearing the bad news. (She became emotionally distraught.)
Fall back: to move back; to retreat.
- The army was forced to fall back. (The army was forced to retreat.)
Fall behind: to fail to keep up with a schedule or group.
- He fell behind in his rent payments. (He failed to make his rent payments on time.)
Fall out: to argue and stop being friendly; to happen as a result.
- They fell out over money. (They argued and stopped being friends over money.)
- It fell out that we were both wrong. (It happened that we were both wrong.)
Fall through: to fail to happen or be completed.
- Our plans to travel fell through. (Our plans to travel failed to happen.)
Fall on deaf ears: to be ignored or disregarded.
- My advice fell on deaf ears. (My advice was ignored.)
Fall short: to fail to reach a standard, goal, or amount.
- The donations fell short of our target. (The donations failed to reach our target amount.)
Fall into place: to start to make sense or become organized.
- Once I found the key document, everything fell into place. (Once I found the key document, everything started to make sense.)
Pride comes before a fall: being overconfident often leads to failure.
- He was so sure he would win, but pride comes before a fall. (He was overconfident about winning, which led to his failure.)
- a sudden sharp decrease in some quantity
- a drop of 57 points on the Dow Jones index
- there was a drop in pressure in the pulmonary artery
- a dip in prices
- when that became known the price of their stock went into free fall
- a free and rapid descent by the force of gravity
- it was a miracle that he survived the drop from that height
- when a wrestler's shoulders are forced to the mat
- the time of day immediately following sunset
- he loved the twilight
- they finished before the fall of night
- the act of surrendering (usually under agreed conditions)
- they were protected until the capitulation of the fort
- a movement downward
- the rise and fall of the tides
- a sudden decline in strength or number or importance
- the fall of the House of Hapsburg
- a lapse into sin; a loss of innocence or of chastity
- a fall from virtue
- a downward slope or bend
- the lapse of mankind into sinfulness because of the sin of Adam and Eve
- women have been blamed ever since the Fall
- a sudden drop from an upright position
- he had a nasty spill on the ice
- the season when the leaves fall from the trees
- in the fall of 1973
- come as if by falling
- Night fell
- Silence fell
- go as if by falling
- Grief fell from our hearts
- begin vigorously
- The prisoners fell to work right away
- be born, used chiefly of lambs
- The lambs fell in the afternoon
- come out; issue
- silly phrases fell from her mouth
- be cast down
- his eyes fell
- assume a disappointed or sad expression
- Her face fell when she heard that she would be laid off
- his crest fell
- fall or flow in a certain way
- This dress hangs well
- Her long black hair flowed down her back
- drop oneself to a lower or less erect position
- She fell back in her chair
- He fell to his knees
- lose an upright position suddenly
- The vase fell over and the water spilled onto the table
- Her hair fell across her forehead
- slope downward
- The hills around here fall towards the ocean
- be inherited by
- The estate fell to my sister
- The land returned to the family
- The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead
- fall to somebody by assignment or lot
- The task fell to me
- It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims
- come into the possession of
- The house accrued to the oldest son
- to be given by right or inheritance
- The estate fell to the oldest daughter
- lose one's chastity
- a fallen woman
- be due
- payments fall on the 1st of the month
- move in a specified direction
- The line of men fall forward
- to be given by assignment or distribution
- The most difficult task fell on the youngest member of the team
- The onus fell on us
- The pressure to succeed fell on the youngest student
- lose office or power
- The government fell overnight
- The Qing Dynasty fell with Sun Yat-sen
- yield to temptation or sin
- Adam and Eve fell
- decrease in size, extent, or range
- The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester
- The cabin pressure fell dramatically
- her weight fell to under a hundred pounds
- his voice fell to a whisper
- occur at a specified time or place
- Christmas falls on a Monday this year
- The accent falls on the first syllable
- be captured
- The cities fell to the enemy
- touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly
- Light fell on her face
- The sun shone on the fields
- The light struck the golden necklace
- A strange sound struck my ears
- die, as in battle or in a hunt
- Many soldiers fell at Verdun
- Several deer have fallen to the same gun
- The shooting victim fell dead
- suffer defeat, failure, or ruin
- We must stand or fall
- fall by the wayside
- fall from clouds
- rain, snow and sleet were falling
- Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum
- come under, be classified or included
- fall into a category
- This comes under a new heading
- pass suddenly and passively into a state of body or mind
- fall into a trap
- She fell ill
- They fell out of favor
- Fall in love
- fall asleep
- fall prey to an imposter
- fall into a strange way of thinking
- she fell to pieces after she lost her work
- move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
- The temperature is going down
- The barometer is falling
- The curtain fell on the diva
- Her hand went up and then fell again
- descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
- The branch fell from the tree
- The unfortunate hiker fell into a crevasse