Definition

Noun: A cliff is a very steep, high, and often vertical or nearly vertical face of rock, earth, or ice. It is typically found at the edge of a plateau, along a coast, or beside a river.

Usage

A cliff is a natural geographical feature. It describes a landscape where there is a sudden, sharp drop. The word is often used to emphasize height, steepness, and potential danger.

Examples

• The hikers carefully approached the edge of the cliff to look at the ocean below.
• Erosion from the sea is slowly causing the cliff to crumble.
• The castle was built on top of a high cliff, making it easy to defend.

Advanced Usage

• "Cliff edge": This phrase is sometimes used to emphasize the very brink or precipice of a cliff. It can also be used metaphorically to describe a situation of extreme risk or immediacy.
  • The policy brought the economy to the very cliff edge.
• Geological Context: In geology, a cliff's formation (e.g., sea cliff, fault scarp) and composition (e.g., limestone cliff, sandstone cliff) can be specified.

Variants and Related Words

• Cliffhanger (noun): A story or situation that is exciting because its ending is uncertain, creating suspense. This term originated from early movie serials where a hero might be left literally hanging from a cliff.
  • The season finale ended on a real cliffhanger.
• Clifftop (noun): The land at the top of a cliff.
  • They had a picnic on the clifftop.
• Cliff face (noun): The steep, vertical surface of the cliff itself.
  • Rock climbers scaled the sheer cliff face.

Synonyms

• Precipice: A very steep rock face or cliff, often implying a greater sense of danger and a vertical drop.
• Bluff: A steep cliff or bank, especially one by a river or the sea.
• Escarpment: A long, steep slope, especially at the edge of a plateau or separating areas of land at different heights.
• Crag: A steep or rugged cliff or rock face.

Antonyms

• Plain: A large area of flat land.
• Valley: A low area of land between hills or mountains.
• Slope: A surface of which one end or side is at a higher level than another; an incline, but not steep like a cliff.

Idioms and Phrases

• "Drive (or push) someone over the cliff": To cause someone to finally fail, give up, or have a breakdown after a period of difficulty.
  • The constant stress at work finally drove him over the cliff.
• "On the edge of a cliff": In a very risky or dangerous situation where failure or disaster is imminent.
  • Financially, the company is on the edge of a cliff.

Noun

1. a steep high face of rock
   • he stood on a high cliff overlooking the town
   • a steep drop