Definition

1. 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.

2. 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.

Examples

• 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.)

Advanced Usage

• "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.)

Variants and Related Words

• 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.

Synonyms

• 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.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• 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.)

Related Idioms

• 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.)

Noun

1. 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
2. a free and rapid descent by the force of gravity
   • it was a miracle that he survived the drop from that height
3. when a wrestler's shoulders are forced to the mat
4. the time of day immediately following sunset
   • he loved the twilight
   • they finished before the fall of night
5. the act of surrendering (usually under agreed conditions)
   • they were protected until the capitulation of the fort
6. a movement downward
   • the rise and fall of the tides
7. a sudden decline in strength or number or importance
   • the fall of the House of Hapsburg
8. a lapse into sin; a loss of innocence or of chastity
   • a fall from virtue
9. a downward slope or bend
10. the lapse of mankind into sinfulness because of the sin of Adam and Eve
    • women have been blamed ever since the Fall
11. a sudden drop from an upright position
    • he had a nasty spill on the ice
12. the season when the leaves fall from the trees
    • in the fall of 1973

Verb

1. come as if by falling
   • Night fell
   • Silence fell
2. go as if by falling
   • Grief fell from our hearts
3. begin vigorously
   • The prisoners fell to work right away
4. be born, used chiefly of lambs
   • The lambs fell in the afternoon
5. come out; issue
   • silly phrases fell from her mouth
6. be cast down
   • his eyes fell
7. assume a disappointed or sad expression
   • Her face fell when she heard that she would be laid off
   • his crest fell
8. fall or flow in a certain way
   • This dress hangs well
   • Her long black hair flowed down her back
9. drop oneself to a lower or less erect position
   • She fell back in her chair
   • He fell to his knees
10. lose an upright position suddenly
    • The vase fell over and the water spilled onto the table
    • Her hair fell across her forehead
11. slope downward
    • The hills around here fall towards the ocean
12. 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
13. fall to somebody by assignment or lot
    • The task fell to me
    • It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims
14. come into the possession of
    • The house accrued to the oldest son
15. to be given by right or inheritance
    • The estate fell to the oldest daughter
16. lose one's chastity
    • a fallen woman
17. be due
    • payments fall on the 1st of the month
18. move in a specified direction
    • The line of men fall forward
19. 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
20. lose office or power
    • The government fell overnight
    • The Qing Dynasty fell with Sun Yat-sen
21. yield to temptation or sin
    • Adam and Eve fell
22. 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
23. occur at a specified time or place
    • Christmas falls on a Monday this year
    • The accent falls on the first syllable
24. be captured
    • The cities fell to the enemy
25. 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
26. 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
27. suffer defeat, failure, or ruin
    • We must stand or fall
    • fall by the wayside
28. fall from clouds
    • rain, snow and sleet were falling
    • Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum
29. come under, be classified or included
    • fall into a category
    • This comes under a new heading
30. 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
31. 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
32. descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
    • The branch fell from the tree
    • The unfortunate hiker fell into a crevasse