Fall Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Published on March 28, 2024
Fall refers to the act of moving downwards, typically due to the force of gravity. e.g., Leaves begin to fall from the trees as autumn approaches.
Table of Contents
Fall Definitions
To descend from a higher to a lower place.
The apple fell from the tree.
To succumb to temptation or sin.
He vowed he would never fall to such vices.
To decrease in value or amount.
Temperatures fall dramatically at night.
To be defeated or captured.
The city fell after a long siege.
To decrease in rank, status, or condition.
His reputation fell after the scandal.
To become attached to or enamored with.
She fell for the charming stranger instantly.
To pass into a particular period or season.
The country falls into chaos every election year.
To occur or happen, especially at a specific time.
Halloween falls on October 31st this year.
To come into a certain condition or state.
The room fell silent when the news was announced.
To lose one's balance and collapse.
He slipped on the ice and fell.
To drop or come down freely under the influence of gravity
Leaves fell from the tree.
To drop oneself to a lower or less erect position
I fell back in my chair. The pilgrims fell to their knees.
To lose an upright or erect position suddenly
Tripped and fell.
To drop wounded or dead, especially in battle.
To hang down
The child's hair fell in ringlets.
To be cast down
Her eyes fell.
To be directed toward or come into contact; rest
My gaze fell upon the letter. The light fell on my book.
To come into existence or occur as if by falling
A plague fell on the town. Night fell quickly.
To occur at a specified time or place
The holiday falls on a Thursday. The stress falls on the last syllable.
To be removed as if by falling
All grief fell from our hearts.
To come forth as if by falling; issue
Did any thanks fall from their lips?.
To assume an expression of consternation or disappointment
His face fell when he heard the report.
To undergo conquest or capture, especially as the result of an armed attack
The city fell after a long siege.
To experience defeat or ruin
The home team fell to the visitors. After 300 years the dynasty fell.
To lose office
The disgraced prime minister fell from power.
To move downward to a lower level; be reduced
The tide fell.
To slope downward
The land falls gently toward the sea.
To become less in amount or degree
The air pressure is falling.
To diminish in pitch or volume
My friend's voice fell to a whisper.
To decline in financial value
Last year, stocks fell sharply.
To give into temptation; suffer a moral lapse.
(Theology) To lose primordial innocence and happiness. Used of humanity as a result of the Fall.
To pass into a particular state, condition, or situation
Fell silent.
Fall in love.
To come, as by chance
Fell among a band of thieves.
To be given by assignment or distribution
The greatest task fell to me.
To be given by right or inheritance.
To be included within the range or scope of something
The specimens fall into three categories.
To apply oneself
Fell to work immediately.
To be born. Used chiefly of lambs.
To cut down (a tree); fell.
The act or an instance of falling.
A sudden drop from a relatively erect to a less erect position.
Something that has fallen
A fall of snow.
An amount that has fallen
A fall of two inches of rain.
The distance that something falls
The victim suffered a fall of three stories to the ground.
Autumn.
Falls(used with a sing. or pl. verb) A waterfall.
A downward movement or slope.
A veil hung from a hat and down the wearer's back.
An ornamental cascade of lace or trimming attached to a dress, usually at the collar.
A hairpiece with long, free-hanging hair.
An overthrow; a collapse
The fall of a government.
Armed capture of a place under siege
The fall of Troy.
A reduction in value, amount, or degree
A fall in housing prices.
A marked, often sudden, decline in status, rank, or importance
His fall from power.
A moral lapse.
Often Fall(Theology)The loss of humanity's original innocence and happiness resulting from Adam and Eve's eating of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
The act of holding a wrestling opponent on the opponent's back so that the shoulders remain in contact with the mat for a designated period, usually one or two seconds, thereby winning the match. Also called pin.
Any of various wrestling maneuvers resulting in such an act.
A break or rise in the level of a deck.
Falls The apparatus used to hoist and transfer cargo or lifeboats.
The end of a cable, rope, or chain that is pulled by the power source in hoisting.
The birth of an animal, especially a lamb.
All the animals born at one birth; a litter.
A family of woodcock in flight.
(Botany) One of the outer, drooping segments of a flower, especially an iris.
Of, having to do with, occurring in, or appropriate to the season of fall
Fall fashion.
Fall harvests.
Grown during the season of fall
Fall crops.
To be moved downwards.
To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
Thrown from a cliff, the stone fell 100 feet before hitting the ground.
To come down, to drop or descend.
The rain fell at dawn.
To come as if by dropping down.
To come to the ground deliberately, to prostrate oneself.
He fell to the floor and begged for mercy.
To be brought to the ground.
(transitive) To move downwards.
(obsolete) To let fall; to drop.
(obsolete) To sink; to depress.
To fall the voice
To fell; to cut down.
To fall a tree
(intransitive) To change, often negatively.
To become.
She has fallen ill.
The children fell asleep in the back of the car.
When did you first fall in love?
Fall silent, fall sick, fall pregnant, fall victim to something
(intransitive) To collapse; to be overthrown or defeated.
Rome fell to the Goths in 410 AD.
To die, especially in battle or by disease.
This is a monument to all those who fell in the First World War.
(intransitive) To become lower (in quantity, pitch, etc.).
The candidate's poll ratings fell abruptly after the banking scandal.
To occur (on a certain day of the week, date, or similar); to happen.
Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday.
Last year, Commencement fell on June 3.
(intransitive) To be allotted to; to arrive through chance, fate, or inheritance.
And so it falls to me to make this important decision.
The estate fell to his brother; the kingdom fell into the hands of his rivals.
To diminish; to lessen or lower.
To bring forth.
To fall lambs
To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; said of the young of certain animals.
(intransitive) To descend in character or reputation; to become degraded; to sink into vice, error, or sin.
(intransitive) To become ensnared or entrapped; to be worse off than before.
To fall into error;
To fall into difficulties
(intransitive) To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; said of the face.
(intransitive) To happen; to come to pass; to chance or light (upon).
(intransitive) To begin with haste, ardour, or vehemence; to rush or hurry.
After arguing, they fell to blows.
(intransitive) To be dropped or uttered carelessly.
An unguarded expression fell from his lips.
To hang down under the influence of gravity.
An Empire-style dress has a high waistline – directly under the bust – from which the dress falls all the way to a hem as low as the floor.
The act of moving to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
A reduction in quantity, pitch, etc.
The time of the year when the leaves typically fall from the trees; autumn; the season of the year between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.
A loss of greatness or status.
The fall of Rome
That which falls or cascades.
(sport) A crucial event or circumstance.
The action of a batsman being out.
(curling) A defect in the ice which causes stones thrown into an area to drift in a given direction.
(wrestling) An instance of a wrestler being pinned to the mat.
A hairpiece for women consisting of long strands of hair on a woven backing, intended primarily to cover hair loss.
Blame or punishment for a failure or misdeed.
He set up his rival to take the fall.
(nautical) The part of the rope of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting (usu. plural).
Have the goodness to secure the falls of the mizzen halyards.
An old Scots unit of measure equal to six ells.
A short, flexible piece of leather forming part of a bullwhip, placed between the thong and the cracker.
The lid, on a piano, that covers the keyboard
(nautical) The chasing of a hunted whale.
(nautical) The cry given when a whale is sighted, or harpooned.
To Descend, either suddenly or gradually; particularly, to descend by the force of gravity; to drop; to sink; as, the apple falls; the tide falls; the mercury falls in the barometer.
I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
To cease to be erect; to take suddenly a recumbent posture; to become prostrate; to drop; as, a child totters and falls; a tree falls; a worshiper falls on his knees.
I fell at his feet to worship him.
To find a final outlet; to discharge its waters; to empty; - with into; as, the river Rhone falls into the Mediterranean.
To become prostrate and dead; to die; especially, to die by violence, as in battle.
A thousand shall fall at thy side.
He rushed into the field, and, foremost fighting, fell.
To cease to be active or strong; to die away; to lose strength; to subside; to become less intense; as, the wind falls.
To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; - said of the young of certain animals.
To decline in power, glory, wealth, or importance; to become insignificant; to lose rank or position; to decline in weight, value, price etc.; to become less; as, the price falls; stocks fell two points.
I am a poor fallen man, unworthy nowTo be thy lord and master.
The greatness of these Irish lords suddenly fell and vanished.
To be overthrown or captured; to be destroyed.
Heaven and earth will witness,If Rome must fall, that we are innocent.
To descend in character or reputation; to become degraded; to sink into vice, error, or sin; to depart from the faith; to apostatize; to sin.
Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
To become insnared or embarrassed; to be entrapped; to be worse off than before; as, to fall into error; to fall into difficulties.
To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; - said of the countenance.
Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
I have observed of late thy looks are fallen.
To sink; to languish; to become feeble or faint; as, our spirits rise and fall with our fortunes.
To pass somewhat suddenly, and passively, into a new state of body or mind; to become; as, to fall asleep; to fall into a passion; to fall in love; to fall into temptation.
To happen; to to come to pass; to light; to befall; to issue; to terminate.
The Romans fell on this model by chance.
Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall.
They do not make laws, they fall into customs.
To come; to occur; to arrive.
The vernal equinox, which at the Nicene Council fell on the 21st of March, falls now [1694] about ten days sooner.
To begin with haste, ardor, or vehemence; to rush or hurry; as, they fell to blows.
They now no longer doubted, but fell to work heart and soul.
To pass or be transferred by chance, lot, distribution, inheritance, or otherwise; as, the estate fell to his brother; the kingdom fell into the hands of his rivals.
To belong or appertain.
If to her share some female errors fall,Look on her face, and you'll forget them all.
To be dropped or uttered carelessly; as, an unguarded expression fell from his lips; not a murmur fell from him.
Those captive tribes . . . fell offFrom God to worship calves.
A soul exasperated in ills falls outWith everything, its friend, itself.
To let fall; to drop.
For every tear he falls, a Trojan bleeds.
To sink; to depress; as, to fall the voice.
To diminish; to lessen or lower.
Upon lessening interest to four per cent, you fall the price of your native commodities.
To bring forth; as, to fall lambs.
To fell; to cut down; as, to fall a tree.
The act of falling; a dropping or descending be the force of gravity; descent; as, a fall from a horse, or from the yard of ship.
The act of dropping or tumbling from an erect posture; as, he was walking on ice, and had a fall.
Death; destruction; overthrow; ruin.
They thy fall conspire.
Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Downfall; degradation; loss of greatness or office; termination of greatness, power, or dominion; ruin; overthrow; as, the fall of the Roman empire.
Beholds thee glorious only in thy fall.
The surrender of a besieged fortress or town ; as, the fall of Sebastopol.
Diminution or decrease in price or value; depreciation; as, the fall of prices; the fall of rents.
A sinking of tone; cadence; as, the fall of the voice at the close of a sentence.
Declivity; the descent of land or a hill; a slope.
Descent of water; a cascade; a cataract; a rush of water down a precipice or steep; - usually in the plural, sometimes in the singular; as, the falls of Niagara.
The discharge of a river or current of water into the ocean, or into a lake or pond; as, the fall of the Po into the Gulf of Venice.
Extent of descent; the distance which anything falls; as, the water of a stream has a fall of five feet.
The season when leaves fall from trees; autumn.
What crowds of patients the town doctor kills,Or how, last fall, he raised the weekly bills.
That which falls; a falling; as, a fall of rain; a heavy fall of snow.
The act of felling or cutting down.
Lapse or declension from innocence or goodness. Specifically: The first apostasy; the act of our first parents in eating the forbidden fruit; also, the apostasy of the rebellious angels.
Formerly, a kind of ruff or band for the neck; a falling band; a faule.
That part (as one of the ropes) of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting.
The season when the leaves fall from the trees;
In the fall of 1973
A sudden drop from an upright position;
He had a nasty spill on the ice
The lapse of mankind into sinfulness because of the sin of Adam and Eve;
Women have been blamed ever since the Fall
A downward slope or bend
A lapse into sin; a loss of innocence or of chastity;
A fall from virtue
A sudden decline in strength or number or importance;
The fall of the House of Hapsburg
A movement downward;
The rise and fall of the tides
The act of surrendering (under agreed conditions);
They were protected until the capitulation of the fort
The time of day immediately following sunset;
He loved the twilight
They finished before the fall of night
When a wrestler's shoulders are forced to the mat
A free and rapid descent by the force of gravity;
It was a miracle that he survived the drop from that height
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
Descend in free fall under the influence of gravity;
The branch fell from the tree
The unfortunate hiker fell into a crevasse
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
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
Come under, be classified or included;
Fall into a category
This comes under a new heading
Fall from clouds;
Rain, snow and sleet were falling
Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum
Suffer defeat, failure, or ruin;
We must stand or fall
Fall by the wayside
Decrease in size, extent, or range;
The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester
The cabin pressure fell dramatically
Her weight fall to under a hundred pounds
His voice fell to a whisper
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
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
Be captured;
The cities fell to the enemy
Occur at a specified time or place;
Christmas falls on a Monday this year
The accent falls on the first syllable
Yield to temptation or sin;
Adam and Eve fell
Lose office or power;
The government fell overnight
The Qing Dynasty fell with Sun Yat-sen
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 yougest student
Move in a specified direction;
The line of men fall forward
Be due;
Payments fall on the 1st of the month
Lose one's chastity;
A fallen woman
To be given by right or inheritance;
The estate fell to the oldest daughter
Come into the possession of;
The house accrued to the oldest son
Fall to somebody by assignment or lot;
The task fell to me
It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims
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
Slope downward;
The hills around here fall towards the ocean
Lose an upright position suddenly;
The vase fell over and the water spilled onto the table
Her hair fell across her forehead
Drop oneself to a lower or less erect position;
She fell back in her chair
He fell to his knees
Fall or flow in a certain way;
This dress hangs well
Her long black hair flowed down her back
Assume a disappointed or sad expression;
Her face fell when she heard that she would be laid off
His crest fell
Be cast down;
His eyes fell
Come out; issue;
Silly phrases fell from her mouth
Be born, used chiefly of lambs;
The lambs fell in the afternoon
Begin vigorously;
The prisoners fell to work right away
Go as if by falling;
Grief fell from our hearts
Come as if by falling;
Night fell
Silence fell
Fall Snonyms
Drop
To come down from a higher position.
The child watched the coin drop into the well.
Decline
To diminish in value or quantity over time.
The stock market began to decline in the early afternoon.
Plunge
To fall or jump suddenly from a high place.
The diver plunged into the pool from a great height.
Tumble
To fall suddenly, clumsily, or headlong.
She tumbled down the stairs but wasn't hurt.
Topple
To fall forward; to overturn or collapse.
The strong wind caused the tree to topple over.
Dip
To make a brief downward movement.
The plane dipped as it entered a patch of turbulence.
Sink
To go down or decrease, typically slowly.
His spirits sank when he heard the bad news.
Descend
To go or come down from a higher to a lower level.
The hikers began to descend the mountain as the sun was setting.
Crumble
To break or fall apart into small fragments.
The ancient ruins began to crumble with time.
Slump
To fall or sink heavily; collapse.
After the marathon, he slumped against the wall in exhaustion.
Fall Idioms & Phrases
Fall apart
To disintegrate or become unable to function.
The old car finally fell apart after years of use.
Fall for
To be deceived or tricked by something.
I can't believe you fell for that old trick!
Fall in line
To conform to rules or authority.
The new recruits quickly fell in line with the company's policies.
Fall back on
To resort to something as a secondary option.
If the plan fails, we can fall back on our savings.
Fall behind
To fail to keep pace or stay on schedule.
He fell behind in his studies due to his illness.
Fall out
To have a disagreement that ends a relationship.
They fell out over a trivial matter and haven't spoken since.
Fall under the spell
To become enchanted or mesmerized by something.
The audience fell under the spell of the magician's performance.
Fall into place
To happen in a satisfactory or desired way.
Once she organized her notes, everything started to fall into place.
Fall on hard times
To enter a period of financial or personal difficulty.
After losing his job, he fell on hard times.
Fall on deaf ears
To be ignored or not taken into consideration.
Her warnings about the storm fell on deaf ears.
Fall into disrepair
To deteriorate due to neglect.
The abandoned mansion has fallen into disrepair.
Fall off the radar
To no longer be noticed or considered.
After his hit single, the musician fell off the radar.
Fall by the wayside
To fail to continue or be forgotten.
Many such initiatives fall by the wayside due to lack of funding.
Fall from grace
To lose status, respect, or prestige.
The once-celebrated athlete has fallen from grace amidst the scandal.
Fall out of favor
To lose popularity or approval.
The policy quickly fell out of favor with the public.
Fall on one's feet
To land in a good or fortunate position despite difficulties.
Despite the setback, she always falls on her feet.
Fall through
For plans or arrangements to fail or not happen.
The deal fell through at the last minute.
Fall to pieces
To become emotionally or mentally unstable.
He fell to pieces after the loss of his lifelong friend.
Fall short
To fail to reach a target or standard.
The project fell short of the expectations.
Take the fall
To accept blame or punishment for something, often to protect others.
He took the fall for the team's mistake.
Fall Example Sentences
The first leaf to fall signaled the start of autumn.
Prices fall when supply exceeds demand.
Elections fall in November in the United States.
Careful on the ice, or you might fall.
Many civilizations fall, but their legacies live on.
Many resist temptation, but some fall.
Tourist numbers fall off outside the summer season.
The project will fall under the new manager's jurisdiction.
It's easy to fall for a well-told story.
He watched the snowflakes fall gently to the ground.
Interest rates tend to fall during economic recessions.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called "fall"?
The term "fall" is short for "fall of the leaf," referring to the time of year when leaves fall from trees, predominantly in temperate zones. This season is also known as autumn.
What is a stressed syllable in "fall"?
In the word "fall," the single syllable is stressed: /fɔːl/.
How many syllables are in "fall"?
There is 1 syllable in "fall."
How is "fall" used in a sentence?
"Fall" can be used to denote a decrease or descent, e.g., The leaves start to fall when autumn arrives.
What is the first form of "fall"?
The first (base) form of "fall" is "fall."
What is the root word of "fall"?
The root of "fall" is the Old English "feallan," which means "to fall, to fail, to decay."
What is the second form of "fall"?
The second (past tense) form of "fall" is "fell."
What is another term for "fall"?
Another term for "fall" (the season) is "autumn."
What is the singular form of "fall"?
"Fall" is already in the singular form.
How do we divide "fall" into syllables?
"Fall" is a single-syllable word and cannot be further divided.
What is the verb form of "fall"?
"Fall" itself is the base verb form. The past tense is "fell," and the past participle is "fallen."
What part of speech is "fall"?
"Fall" is primarily used as a verb, but it can also be a noun, as in "the fall of Rome."
Is "fall" an abstract noun?
When "fall" is used to refer to the season or a concept, it can be considered an abstract noun.
Is the word "fall" a Gerund?
No, "fall" itself is not a gerund. The gerund form would be "falling."
Which vowel is used before "fall"?
The article "a" is used before "fall" because "fall" begins with a consonant sound.
What is the pronunciation of "fall"?
"Fall" is pronounced as /fɔːl/ in American English.
Is "fall" a collective noun?
No, "fall" is not typically used as a collective noun.
Is "fall" a vowel or consonant?
The word "fall" starts with a consonant.
Is the "fall" term a metaphor?
"Fall" can be used metaphorically to describe a decline or downfall, such as "the fall of an empire."
Is the word “fall” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Fall" can be the action in a sentence and thus does not serve as a direct or indirect object. However, when used as a noun, it could be a direct object, e.g., "I witnessed the fall."
Which determiner is used with "fall"?
Determiners like "the," "a," and possessive pronouns can be used with "fall," depending on the context.
Which preposition is used with "fall"?
Prepositions like "into," "from," and "through" are commonly used with "fall," depending on the context.
Which conjunction is used with "fall"?
Conjunctions like "and," "but," and "or" can be used with "fall," depending on the sentence structure.
Which article is used with "fall"?
The definite article "the" is used when referring to a specific instance of "fall," and the indefinite article "a" is used in a general sense.
What is the third form of "fall"?
The third (past participle) form of "fall" is "fallen."
What is the plural form of "fall"?
The plural form of "fall" when used as a noun (referring to multiple instances of falling) is "falls," e.g., "The many falls of ancient empires."
Is "fall" a noun or adjective?
"Fall" is primarily a verb and a noun. It is not commonly used as an adjective.
Is "fall" an adverb?
No, "fall" is not an adverb.
Is the word "fall" imperative?
"Fall" can be used in the imperative mood as a command, e.g., "Fall in line!"
What is the opposite of "fall"?
The opposite of "fall" can be "rise" when referring to movement, or "spring" when referring to the season opposite to autumn.
Is "fall" a negative or positive word?
"Fall" can be neutral, negative, or positive, depending on the context. It can indicate a literal fall, a decline, or simply the season of autumn.
Is "fall" a countable noun?
As a noun, "fall" can be countable when referring to instances of falling.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
