fall
fawl
Fall (verb) means to move downward, especially suddenly and without control. Example: “She slipped on the ice and fell hard on the pavement.”
verb
1
To move downward, especially suddenly and without control.
"She slipped on the ice and fell hard on the pavement."
"Leaves fall from the trees every October."
"The glass slipped from his hand and began to fall towards the stone floor."
2
To decrease in amount, level, or intensity.
"Prices fell sharply after the announcement."
"Temperatures fell below freezing overnight."
"The number of visitors usually falls during the wet winter months."
3
To be defeated, collapse, or come to an end (of a government, city, or empire).
"Historians still debate why the ancient empire began to fall so suddenly."
"The city fell after a long siege."
"Many people believed the old fortress would never fall to an attacker."
4
To happen or occur on a particular date.
"Her birthday falls on a Sunday this year."
"Our wedding anniversary falls in the middle of the school holidays."
"The village festival always falls on the first weekend of the month."
noun
1
Autumn; the season between summer and winter.
"In the fall, the park fills with red and gold leaves."
"She starts university this fall and is excited about moving to a new city."
"We always visit New England in the fall to see the leaves change."
2
An act of dropping down, or a loss of status or power.
"The fall of the empire took decades to unfold."
"He suffered a nasty fall from his bicycle on the steep hill."
"The scandal led to the minister's fall from power within a week."
How to use fall
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo drop downward, to decrease, to be defeated, or — as a noun — the season of autumn.
UK vs US
American English commonly says "fall" for the season; British English almost always says "autumn."
Easily confused with
Common pairings
fall down
fall in love
fall apart
in the fall
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Word forms
- Plural
- falls
- Third person singular
- falls
- Past tense
- fell, fallen
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Leaves _____ from the trees every October.
Etymology
From Old English feallan ("to fall, fail, die"). The sense "autumn" developed in English as a shortening of the older phrase "fall of the leaf."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for fall
See all rhymes for fall →Frequently asked questions
What does “fall” mean?
The word “fall” means to move downward, especially suddenly and without control. In plain terms, to drop downward, to decrease, to be defeated, or — as a noun — the season of autumn.
How do you pronounce “fall”?
“Fall” is pronounced fawl (/fɔːl/ in IPA).
How do you use “fall” in a sentence?
Here is “fall” used in a sentence: “Leaves fall from the trees every October.”
What is the opposite of “fall”?
The opposite of “fall” — its antonyms — are ascend, go up, rise, get up and pick oneself up.
What part of speech is “fall”?
Depending on how it is used, “fall” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “fall” come from?
The word “fall” comes from Old English. From Old English feallan ("to fall, fail, die"). The sense "autumn" developed in English as a shortening of the older phrase "fall of the leaf.".
Is “fall” a common word?
“Fall” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “fall” have?
“Fall” has 6 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to move downward, especially suddenly and without control.
What is the difference between fall and drop?
Both describe downward movement, but fall usually happens on its own, under gravity and often without control, as when a person falls on ice. Drop can be deliberate — you drop a ball on purpose — or describe a sharp, sudden decrease. In short, things fall by themselves but are often dropped by someone.
What is the past tense of fall?
The verb fall is irregular. Its simple past tense is fell, as in 'she fell yesterday,' and its past participle is fallen, as in 'the tree has fallen.' A common mistake is saying 'falled,' which is incorrect. Remember the pattern fall, fell, fallen for correct usage.
What is the opposite of fall?
The most direct opposite of fall is rise, meaning to move upward. Depending on context, you might also use climb, ascend, or soar for physical movement, or increase and grow when talking about numbers such as prices. If something has already fallen, its opposite action is to get up or recover.
What are the different meanings of fall?
Beyond moving downward, fall has several meanings. It can describe a decrease, as when temperatures or prices fall. In American English, fall is also the season known elsewhere as autumn. Figuratively, empires fall when they collapse, and people fall in love or fall silent. Context makes the intended sense clear.
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