Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense falls, present participle falling, past tense fell, past participle fallen
1. verb
If someone or something falls, they move quickly downwards onto or towards the ground, by accident or because of a natural force.
Her father fell into the sea after a massive heart attack. [VERB preposition]
The prince has again fallen from his horse. [VERB preposition]
Bombs fell in the town. [VERB]
I ought to seal the boxes up. I don't want the books falling out. [Vout/off]
Twenty people were injured by falling masonry. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: drop, plunge, tumble, plummet More Synonyms of fall
Fall is also a noun.
The helmets are designed to withstand impacts equivalent to a fall from a bicycle. [+ from]
2. verb
If a person or structure that is standing somewhere falls, they move from their upright position, so that they are then lying on the ground.
The woman gripped the shoulders of her man to stop herself from falling. [VERB]
We watched buildings fall on top of people and pets. [VERB preposition/adverb]
He lost his balance and fell backwards. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Fall is also a noun.
Mrs Briscoe had a bad fall last week.
Fall down means the same as fall.
I hit him so hard he fell down. [VERBPARTICLE]
Children jumped from upper floors as the building fell down around them. [VERBPARTICLE]
fallenadjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A number of roads have been blocked by fallen trees.
Synonyms: collapsed, flat, on the ground, decayed More Synonyms of fall
Synonyms: dishonoured, lost, loose [old-fashioned], shamed More Synonyms of fall
Synonyms: killed, lost, dead, slaughtered More Synonyms of fall
3. verb
When rain or snow falls, it comes down from the sky.
Winds reached up to 100mph in some places with an inch of rain falling within 15minutes. [VERB]
Fall is also a noun.
One night there was a heavy fall of snow. [+ of]
4. See also rainfall, snowfall
5. verb
If you fall somewhere, you allow yourself to drop there in a hurried or disorganized way, often because you are very tired.
Totally exhausted, he tore his clothes off and fell into bed. [VERB preposition]
In the morning I got as far as the sofa and fell on to it. [VERB preposition]
6. verb
If something falls, it decreases in amount, value, or strength.
Output will fall by 6%. [VERB + by]
Her weight fell to under seven stones. [V + to/from]
Between July and August, oil product prices fell 0.2 per cent. [VERB amount]
The number of prosecutions has stayed static and the rate of convictions has fallen. [VERB]
...a time of falling living standards and emerging mass unemployment. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: decrease, drop, decline, go down More Synonyms of fall
Fall is also a noun.
There was a sharp fall in the value of the pound.
7. verb
If a powerful or successful person falls, they suddenly lose their power or position.
There's a danger of the government falling because it will lose its majority. [VERB]
When Cromwell fell from power, the king took everything. [VERB + from]
Fall is also a noun.
Since the fall of the military dictator, the country has had a civilian government.
Her rise has mirrored his fall.
8. verb
If a place falls in a war or election, an enemy army or a different political party takes control of it.
Paris fell to the allies in August 1944. [VERB + to]
With the announcement 'Paphos has fallen!' a cheer went up from the assembled soldiers. [VERB]
Fall is also a noun.
...the fall of Rome. [+ of]
9. verb
If someone falls in battle, they are killed.
[literary]
Another wave of troops followed the first, running past those who had fallen. [VERB]
Synonyms: be killed, die, be lost, perish More Synonyms of fall
10. link verb
You can use fall to show that someone or something passes into another state. For example, if someonefalls ill, they become ill, and if something falls into disrepair, it is then in a state of disrepair.
It is almost impossible to visit Florida without falling in love with the state. [V + in/into/out of]
A quarter of those surveyed had fallen into debt as a result of childcare costs. [Vin/into/out of n]
I took Moira to the cinema, where she fell asleep. [VERB adjective]
Almost without exception these women fall victim to exploitation. [VERB noun]
11. verb
If you say that something or someone falls into a particular group or category, you mean that they belong in that group or category.
The problems generally fall into two categories. [VERB + into]
Both women fall into the highest-risk group. [VERB + into]
12. verb
If the responsibility or blame for something falls on someone, they have to take the responsibility or the blame for it.
[written]
That responsibility falls on the local office of the United Nations High Commissionerfor Refugees. [VERB + on]
A vastly disproportionate burden falls on women for child care. [VERBon noun]
A lot of suspicion fell on her. [VERBon noun]
13. verb
If silence or a feeling of sadness or tiredness falls on a group of people, they become silent, sad, or tired.
[written]
The bus was stopped and silence fell on the passengers as the police checked identitycards. [Von/over n]
14. verb
If a celebration or other special event falls on a particular day or date, it happens to be on that day or date.
Easter falls on April 10 next year. [VERB + on]
15. verb
When light or shadow falls on something, it covers it.
Nancy, out of the corner of her eye, saw the shadow that suddenly fell across thedoorway. [V + across/over/on]
16. verb
If someone's hair or a garment falls in a certain way, it hangs downwards in that way.
...a slender boy with black hair falling across his forehead. [VERB preposition/adverb]
17. verb
If you say that someone's eyes fellon something, you mean they suddenly noticed it.
[written]
As he laid the flowers on the table, his eye fell upon a note in Grace's handwriting. [VERB + on/upon]
18. verb
When night or darkness falls, night begins and it becomes dark.
As darkness fell outside, they sat down to eat at long tables. [VERB]
19. plural noun & countable noun
You can refer to a waterfall as thefalls.
...panoramic views of the falls.
...Niagara Falls.
20. variable noun
Fall is the season between summer and winter when the weather becomes cooler and the leaves fall off the trees.
[US]
He was elected judge in the fall.
The Supreme Court will not hear the case until next fall.
The program was launched in the fall of 1990.
The policy will take effect after the fall election.
regional note: in BRIT, use autumn
Synonyms: decrease, drop, lowering, decline More Synonyms of fall
21. proper noun [theNOUN]
In the Christian religion, the Fall was the occasion when Adam and Eve sinned and God made them leave the Garden of Eden.
22. countable noun
In some sports such as judo and wrestling, a fall is the act of throwing or forcing your opponent to the floor.
23. verb
In cricket, when a wicket falls, the team who are fielding get one of the batsmen out.
The last seven wickets fell for ten runs. [VERB]
24. See also fallen
25.
See to fall open
26.
See to fall over yourself to do
27.
See to fall to bits/pieces
28. to fall on your feet
29. to fall foul of
30. to fall flat
31. to fall from grace
32. to fall into place
33. to fall short
34. to fall into the trap
35. to fall by the wayside
Phrasal verbs:
See fall about
See fall apart
See fall away
See fall back
See fall back on
See fall behind
See fall down
See fall for
See fall in
See fall into
See fall in with
See fall off
See fall on
See fall out
See fall over
See fall through
See fall to
More Synonyms of fall
fall in British English
(fɔːl)
verbWord forms: falls, falling, fell (fɛl) or fallen (ˈfɔːlən)(mainly intr)
1.
to descend by the force of gravity from a higher to a lower place
2.
to drop suddenly from an erect position
3.
to collapse to the ground, esp in pieces
4.
to become less or lower in number, quality, etc
prices fell in the summer
5.
to become lower in pitch
6.
to extend downwards
her hair fell to her waist
7.
to be badly wounded or killed
8.
to slope in a downward direction
9. Christianity
to yield to temptation or sin
10.
to diminish in status, estimation, etc
11.
to yield to attack
the city fell under the assault
12.
to lose power
the government fell after the riots
13.
to pass into or take on a specified condition
to fall asleep
fall in love
14.
to adopt a despondent expression
her face fell
15.
to be averted
her gaze fell
16.
to come by chance or presumption
suspicion fell on the rebel soldiers
17.
to occur; take place
night fell
Easter falls early this year
18.
(of payments) to be due
19.
to be directed to a specific point
20. (foll byback, behind, etc)
to move in a specified direction
21.
to occur at a specified place
the accent falls on the last syllable
22. (foll by to)
to return (to); be inherited (by)
the estate falls to the three children
23. (often foll byinto, under, etc)
to be classified or included
the subject falls into two main areas
24.
to issue forth
a curse fell from her lips
25.
(of animals, esp lambs) to be born
26. British dialect
to become pregnant
27. (transitive) Australian and New Zealand dialect
to fell (trees)
28. cricket
(of a batsman's wicket) to be taken by the bowling side
the sixth wicket fell for 96
29. archaic
to begin to do
fall a-doing
fall to doing
30. fall flat
31. fall foul of
32. fall short
noun
33.
an act or instance of falling
34.
something that falls
a fall of snow
35. mainly US
autumn
36.
the distance that something falls
a hundred-foot fall
37.
a sudden drop from an upright position
38. (often plural)
a.
a waterfall or cataract
b.
(capital when part of a name)
Niagara Falls
39.
a downward slope or decline
40.
a decrease in value, number, etc
41.
a decline in status or importance
42.
a moral lapse or failing
43.
a capture or overthrow
the fall of the city
44.
a long false hairpiece; switch
45.
a piece of loosely hanging material, such as a veil on a hat
46. machinery, nautical
the end of a tackle to which power is applied to hoist it
47. nautical
one of the lines of a davit for holding, lowering, or raising a boat
48. Also called: pinfall wrestling
a scoring move, pinning both shoulders of one's opponent to the floor for a specified period
49. hunting
a. another word for deadfall
b.
(as modifier)
a fall trap
50.
a.
the birth of an animal
b.
the animals produced at a single birth
51. take the fall
Word origin
Old English feallan; related to Old Norse falla, Old Saxon, Old High German fallan to fall; see fell2
1. to come down by the force of gravity; drop; descend
a.
to come down because detached, pushed, dropped, etc.; move down and land forcibly
apples fall from the tree
b.
to come down suddenly from a standing or sitting position; tumble; topple; become prostrate
c.
to be wounded or killed in battle
d.
to come down in ruins; collapse
the building fell
e.
to hang down
hair falling about her shoulders
2. to pass to a position, condition, etc. regarded as lower
a.
to take a downward direction
land falling away to the sea
b.
to become lower in amount, number, degree, intensity, value, etc.; drop; abate
prices fell
c.
to lose power; be overthrown
the government has fallen
d.
to lose status, reputation, dignity, etc.
e.
to yield to temptation; do wrong; sin; specif. in earlier use (esp. of women), to lose chastity
f.
to be captured or conquered
g.
to take on a look of disappointment or dejection
his face fell
h.
to become lower in pitch or volume
her voice fell
3. to happen as if by dropping
a.
to take place; occur
the meeting fell on a Friday
b.
to come by lot, distribution, inheritance, etc.
the estate falls to the son
c.
to pass into a specified condition; become
to fall ill, to fall in love
d.
to come at a specified place
the accent falls on the third syllable
e.
to be directed by chance
his eye fell on a misspelled word
f.
to be spoken in an involuntary way
the news fell from his lips
g.
to be born
said of animals
h.
to be divided (into)
to fall into two classes
verb transitive
4. Dialectal
to fell (a tree, etc.)
noun
5.
a dropping; descending; coming down
6.
a coming down suddenly from a standing or sitting position
7.
a hanging down, or a part hanging down
8.
a downward direction or slope
9.
a becoming lower or less; reduction in value, price, etc.
10.
a lowering of the voice in pitch or volume
11.
a capture; overthrow; ruin
12.
a loss of status, reputation, etc.
13.
a yielding to temptation; wrongdoing; moral lapse
14.
a.
a birth
said of animals
b.
the number of animals born at one birth; litter
15.
a.
something that has fallen
a fall of leaves
b.
a felling of trees, or timber felled at one time
16.
that season of the year in which many trees lose their leaves; autumn: in the NorthTemperate Zone, generally regarded as including the months of September, October, and November
17.
the amount of what has fallen
a six-inch fall of snow
18.
the distance that something falls
19. [usually pl., often with sing. v.]
water falling over a cliff, etc.; cascade
20.
a broad, turned-down ruff or collar worn in the 17th cent.
21.
a. Rare
a kind of veil hanging from the back of a woman's hat
b.
lace, ruffles, or other trimming on a dress, usually hanging from the collar
22.
a long tress of hair, often synthetic, used by a woman to fill out her coiffure
23. Mechanics
the loose end of the rope, cable, etc. used in a block and tackle
24. Nautical
a.
either of the lines used to lower or hoist a boat at the davits
b.
in a tackle (sense 2), the part of a rope between the free end and a pulley or between pulleys
25. Wrestling
a.
the act of holding an opponent down so that both shoulders touch the mat for a specified time period; pin
b.
a bout or a division of a match
adjective
26.
of, in, for, or characteristic of the fall season
Idioms:
fall (all) over oneself
fall among
fall apart
fall away
fall back
fall back on
fall behind
fall down on
fall for
fall foul of
fall in
fall in with
fall off
fall on
fall out
fall short
fall through
fall to
fall under
ride for a fall
the Fall (of Man)
the fall of the cards
Word origin
ME fallen < OE feallan, to fall, akin to Ger fallen < IE base *phol-, to fall > Lith púolu, to fall
More idioms containing
fall
fall head over heels
fall into someone's hands
fall on stony ground
fall from grace
fall through the floor
fall flat
fall on your feet
be heading for a fall
fall flat on your face
fall on deaf ears
fall into someone's lap
fall through the cracks
fall like ninepins
fall off the perch
fall off your perch
fall into place
fall between two stools
fall into the trap of doing something
fall by the wayside
Examples of 'fall' in a sentence
fall
His companion also pushed in, quickly closing the door after him and letting the bar fall back in place.
Garth Nix LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)
Only the quick hands of the two closest Clayr saved her from a potentially fatal fall into the swift, cold waters of the Ratterlin.
Garth Nix LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)
Two Harshini sat with her, watching the faint rise and fall of her chest, as if waiting for something to happen.
Jennifer Fallon TREASON KEEP (2001)
She stopped pointing the Browning at Bradfield, letting her arm fall to her side.
Mark Burnell THE RHYTHM SECTION (2001)
In other languages
fall
British English: fall /fɔːl/ NOUN
A fall is an act of falling.
The helmet will protect the head in a fall.
American English: fall
Arabic: سُقُوط
Brazilian Portuguese: queda
Chinese: 落下
Croatian: pad
Czech: pád
Danish: fald
Dutch: val omlaag
European Spanish: caída
Finnish: pudotus
French: chute
German: Sturz
Greek: πτώση
Italian: caduta
Japanese: 落下
Korean: 추락
Norwegian: fall
Polish: spadek upadek
European Portuguese: queda
Romanian: cădere
Russian: падение
Latin American Spanish: caída
Swedish: fall ramla
Thai: การหล่นลงมา
Turkish: düşüş
Ukrainian: падіння
Vietnamese: sự rơi
British English: fall /fɔːl/ VERB
If a person or thing falls, they move towards the ground suddenly by accident.
He fell off his bike.
American English: fall
Arabic: يَقِعُ
Brazilian Portuguese: cair
Chinese: 落下
Croatian: pasti
Czech: padat
Danish: falde
Dutch: vallen
European Spanish: caer altura
Finnish: pudota
French: tomber
German: fallen
Greek: πέφτω
Italian: cadere
Japanese: 落ちる
Korean: 추락하다
Norwegian: falle
Polish: spaść
European Portuguese: cair
Romanian: a cădea
Russian: падать
Latin American Spanish: caer
Swedish: ramla
Thai: หล่น
Turkish: düşmek
Ukrainian: падати
Vietnamese: ngã xuống
All related terms of 'fall'
fall in
If a roof or ceiling falls in , it collapses and falls to the ground.
fall on
If you fall on something when it arrives or appears, you eagerly seize it or welcome it.
fall to
If a responsibility , duty , or opportunity falls to someone, it becomes their responsibility, duty, or opportunity.
fall away
If something falls away from the thing it is attached to, it breaks off.
fall back
If you fall back , you move backwards a short distance away from someone or something.
fall down
If an argument, organization, or person falls down on a particular point, they are weak or unsatisfactory on that point.
fall flat
if an event or an attempt to do something falls flat, it is completely unsuccessful
fall for
If you fall for someone, you are strongly attracted to them and start loving them.
fall guy
If someone is the fall guy , they are blamed for something which they did not do or which is not their fault .
fall into
If you fall into conversation or a discussion with someone, usually someone you have just met , you start having a conversation or discussion with them.
fall line
the natural downward course between two points on a slope
fall off
If something falls off , it separates from the thing to which it was attached and moves towards the ground.
fall out
If something such as a person's hair or a tooth falls out , it comes out.
fall over
If a person or object that is standing falls over , they accidentally move from their upright position so that they are then lying on the ground or on the surface supporting them.
fall trap
a trap into which animals fall
flag fall
the minimum charge for hiring a taxi , to which the rate per kilometre is added
free fall
If the value or price of something goes into free fall , it starts to fall uncontrollably.
rock fall
a fall of loose rocks
the Fall
Adam's sin of disobedience and the state of innate sinfulness ensuing from this for himself and all humankind
fall about
If you say that people are falling about , you mean that they are laughing a lot about something.
fall among
to enter the company of (a group of people), esp by chance
fall apart
If something falls apart , it breaks into pieces because it is old or badly made.
fall asleep
When you fall asleep , you start sleeping .
fall behind
If you fall behind , you do not make progress or move forward as fast as other people.
Fall River
seaport in SE Mass .: pop. 92,000
fall short
to prove inadequate
fall under
to come under (an influence, etc.)
fall through
If an arrangement , plan , or deal falls through , it fails to happen .
fall back on
If you fall back on something, you do it or use it after other things have failed .
fall down on
to fail or be unsuccessful in (a job, etc.)
fall foul of
to come into conflict with
fall in love
If you fall in love with someone, you start to be in love with them.
fall in with
If you fall in with an idea, plan , or system, you accept it and do not try to change it.
to fall flat
If you fall flat on your face , you fall over.
to fall open
If something falls open , it opens accidentally.
fall army worm
the caterpillar of a widely distributed noctuid moth, Spodoptera frugiperda, which travels in vast hordes and is a serious pest of cereal crops in tropical regions of the western hemisphere
fall victim to
If you fall victim to something or someone, you suffer as a result of them, or you are killed by them.
take the fall
to be blamed , punished , or imprisoned
to fall short
If someone or something is or stops short of a place, they have not quite reached it. If they are or fall short of an amount, they have not quite achieved it.
become due
to become payable as previously arranged
fall-back position
an alternative plan
fall from grace
to have made a mistake or done something wrong or immoral , and as a result, to have lost power or influence and spoiled your good reputation
fall into place
if you have been trying to understand something, and then everything falls into place, you suddenly understand it and everything becomes clear
fall like ninepins
to be damaged or destroyed quickly in large numbers
fall over oneself
to do everything within one's power
ride for a fall
to act in such a way as to invite disaster
to fall foul of
If you fall foul of someone or run foul of them, you do something which gets you into trouble with them.
to stand or fall
If an idea, claim , or attempt stands or falls on something, its truth or success depends on that thing.
Angel Falls
a waterfall in SE Venezuela , on the Caron í River; regarded as the highest in the world . Height : 979 m (3212 ft)
fall off the perch
to die
Chinese translation of 'fall'
fall
(fɔːl)
Word forms:ptfell
Word forms:ppfallen
vi
[person, object]掉 (diào)
⇒ Bombs fell in the town.炸弹掉进城里。 (Zhàdàn diàojìn chéng li.)
⇒ Her father fell into the sea.她父亲掉到海里了。 (Tā fùqīn diàodào hǎi li le.)
(= fall over)[person, building]倒下 (dǎoxià)
⇒ She gripped his shoulders to stop herself from falling.她抓住他的肩膀以防自己倒下。 (Tā zhuāzhù tā de jiānbǎng yǐfáng zìjǐ dǎoxià.)
[snow, rain]下 (xià)
⇒ An inch of rain fell within 15 minutes.15分钟内下了1英寸的雨。 (Shíwǔ fēnzhōng nèi xiàle yī yīngcùn de yǔ.)
[price, temperature, currency]下降 (xiàjiàng)
⇒ Oil prices fell by 0.2 per cent.油价下降了0.2%。 (Yóujià xiàjiàngle bǎi fēn zhī líng diǎn èr.)
[government, leader, country]下台(臺) (xiàtái)
⇒ The prime minister fell from power.首相下台了。 (Shǒuxiàng xiàtái le.)
[night, darkness]降临(臨) (jiànglín)
⇒ as darkness fell当黑暗降临时 (dāng hēi'àn jiànglín shí)
[light, shadow]投射 (tóushè)
⇒ A shadow fell over her book.一道阴影投射到她的书上。 (Yī dào yīnyǐng tóushè dào tā de shū shang.)
[silence, sadness, tiredness]降临(臨) (jiànglín)
⇒ Silence fell on the passengers as the police checked identity cards.警察检查身份证的时候，每个乘客都陷入沉默。 (Jǐngchá jiǎnchá shēnfènzhèng de shíhou, měigè chéngkè dōu xiànrù chénmò.)
n
(c)[of person]摔倒 (shuāidǎo) (次, cì)
⇒ He had a nasty fall.他摔得不轻。 (Tā shuāi de bù qīng.)
(c) (in price, temperature) 下降 (xiàjiàng) (次, cì)
⇒ There has been a sharp fall in the value of the pound.英镑急剧贬值。 (Yīngbàng jíjù biǎnzhí.)
(s)[of government, leader]垮台(臺) (kuǎtái)
⇒ a debate which led to the Government's fall一场导致政府垮台的辩论 (yī chǎng dǎozhì zhèngfǔ kuǎtái de biànlùn)
(c)[of rain, snow]场(場) (chǎng)
⇒ a heavy fall of snow一场大雪 (yī cháng dà xuě)
(c/u) (US, = autumn) 秋天 (qiūtiān) (个(個), gè)
⇒ in the fall of 19911991年秋天 (yījiǔjiǔyī nián qiūtiān)
英 = autumn
Christmas falls on a Sunday圣(聖)诞(誕)节(節)适(適)逢星期天 (Shèngdàn Jié shìféng xīngqītiān)
to fall in love (with sb/sth)爱(愛)上(某人/某事) (àishàng (mǒurén/mǒushì))
to fall flat[joke]毫无(無)效果 (háo wú xiàoguǒ)
to fall short of the required amount达(達)不到要求的数(數)量 (dá bù dào yāoqiú de shǔliàng)
to fall ill/pregnant生病/怀(懷)孕 (shēngbìng/huáiyùn)
which group do you fall into?你属(屬)于(於)哪一组(組)？ (nǐ shǔyú nǎ yī zǔ?)
Derived Forms
fallsn pl (= waterfall) 瀑布 (pùbù)
⇒ Niagara Falls尼亚加拉大瀑布 (Níyàjiālā dà pùbù)
All related terms of 'fall'
fall in
( roof, ceiling ) 塌陷 tāxiàn
fall to
▶ to fall to sb to do sth ( responsibility ) 做某事的责(責)任落在某人身上 zuò mǒushì de zérèn luòzài mǒurén shēnshang