verb | noun
fallfall1 /fɔl/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (past tense fell /fɛl/, past participle fallen /ˈfɔlən/) 1
MOVE DOWNWARD [intransitive] to go down from a higher position to a lower position: Outside, the rain was falling steadily.fall out of/from/on We picked up the apples that had fallen from the trees. The little boat rose and fell with the movement of the waves.THESAURUSdrop – to fall suddenly onto the ground or into something: The fruit was so ripe it began dropping from the trees.plummet – to fall very quickly from a very high place: The plane plummeted toward the Earth.plunge – to fall a long way down, especially into water: The divers threw themselves off the cliffs and plunged into the water below.tumble – to fall with a rolling movement: Boulders tumbled down the side of the mountain.topple – to fall. Used especially about things that are tall: Trees had toppled over in the storm.collapse – if a structure or building collapses, it breaks and falls to the ground: The roof collapsed under the weight of the wet snow.2GO ONTO THE GROUND [intransitive] (also fall down) to suddenly go down onto the ground, especially without intending to, after you have been standing, walking, or running: Don’t worry – I’ll catch you if you fall. Katie fell down and scraped her knee. She slipped and fell on the ice.fall on/into/down etc. Dennis lost his balance and fell into the water. She fell flat on her face (=fell so that her face was against the ground).THESAURUStrip – to hit your foot against something so that you fall or nearly fall: Be careful not to trip on that step.slip – to slide on something that is wet or icy so that you fall or nearly fall: Several people slipped on the icy sidewalk.stumble – to put your foot down in an awkward way so that you nearly fall: She stumbled forward, and I caught her before she fell.lose your balance – to become unsteady so that you start to fall, for example when you are standing on something narrow, riding a bike, etc.: He was walking along the top of a stone wall when he lost his balance.tumble – to fall with a rolling movement: The old man broke his leg when he tumbled down the stairs.topple – to fall from an upright position: The skier suddenly toppled over into the snow.collapse – to fall suddenly onto the ground, especially because you are sick: The man collapsed and died of a heart attack.3DECREASE [intransitive] to become lower in price, amount, level, etc. SYN drop OPP rise: Temperatures should fall below zero tonight.fall to/from/by etc. The number of traffic fatalities fell by 15% (=was 15% lower) last year.fall sharply/steeply (=quickly become lower)► see thesaurus at decrease14BECOME [linking verb] to start to be in a new or different state: I fell asleep at 9:00.fall in love (with somebody/something) They met on vacation and fell in love immediately. I fell in love with New York the first time I visited. Everyone fell silent as Beth walked in. The duchess had fallen out of favor with the king (=he did not like or approve of her anymore).5BELONG TO A TYPE [intransitive] to be part of a particular group, pattern, or range of things or people: fall into something These substances fall into two categories.fall under something Her novels fall under the heading of historical fiction.fall within/outside something topics that fall outside the scope of our study6HAPPEN [intransitive] to happen on a particular day or date: fall on something Christmas falls on a Thursday this year.7LIGHT/SHADOW [intransitive always + adv./prep.] to shine or appear on a surface: The last rays of sunlight were falling on the fields. A shadow fell across his face.8HANG DOWN [intransitive always + adv./prep.] to hang down loosely: Maria’s hair fell over her shoulders.9night/darkness/dusk falls literary used to say that the night begins and that it starts to become dark: The lights came on as darkness fell on the city.10fall short (of something) to fail to achieve the result, amount, or standard that is needed or that you want: Her newest book fell short of many critics’ expectations.11fall flat if a joke, remark, or performance falls flat, it fails to interest or amuse people: My attempts to entertain her all fell flat.12fall to pieces a)to become damaged or not be able to work well SYN fall apart: Without reforms, the economy will simply fall to pieces. b)to become so sad and upset that you cannot do anything SYN fall apart: Stacy would fall to pieces if she knew Gary was cheating on her.13falling to pieces in very bad condition, especially because of being very old SYN falling apart: The old building was falling to pieces.14fall victim/prey to something to get a very serious illness: While in Africa, she fell victim to a rare blood disorder.15fall victim/prey to somebody to be attacked or deceived by someone: The elderly are most likely to fall prey to con men.16BE KILLED [intransitive] literary to be killed in a war SYN die: a memorial to those who fell in battle17LOSE POWER [intransitive] social studies, politics if a leader or a government falls, they lose their position of power: The previous regime fell after only 6 months in power.18BE TAKEN BY AN ENEMY [intransitive] if a place falls in a war or an election, a group of soldiers or a political party takes control of it: fall to somebody The city finally fell to the advancing rebel army.19fall back into your old ways to start behaving in the way that you used to, especially when other people disapprove of this20fall by the wayside if something falls by the wayside, it stops being done or considered, or stops being successful: Congress has let many important issues fall by the wayside this session.21fall from grace/favor to stop being liked by people in authority: I don’t think she’ll get the promotion – she’s kind of fallen from grace recently.22fall foul of somebody/something to do something that makes someone angry or that breaks a rule, with the result that you are punished: Edwards fell foul of the authorities and was ordered to leave the country.23silence/sadness/calm etc. falls literary used to say that a group of people or a place becomes quiet, sad, calm, etc.: fall on/upon As she entered the ballroom, a great silence fell on the crowd.24VOICE/SOUND [intransitive] if someone’s voice or a sound falls, it becomes quieter or lower25HIT [intransitive always + adv./prep.] to hit a particular place or a particular part of someone’s body: The first punch fell right on his nose.26the stress/accent/beat falls on something used to say that a particular part of a word, phrase, or piece of music is emphasized or is played more loudly than the rest: In the word “spoken,” the stress falls on the first syllable.27I almost fell off my chair spoken used to say that you were very surprised when something happened28fall to your knees to move into a position in which you are on your knees, usually intentionally: The priest fell to his knees to pray.29fall at somebody’s feet to kneel in front of someone, especially to ask him or her to do something or to show your respect30fall from somebody’s lips literary if words fall from someone’s lips, he or she says the words[Origin: Old English feallan] → see also it’s as easy as falling off a log at easy1 (15), stand or fall by/on at stand1 (40)fall apart phrasal verb1to separate into small pieces: The old book fell apart in my hands.2if an organization, system, etc. falls apart, it stops working effectively and has a lot of problems: Our department is falling apart at the seams.3be falling apart to be in very bad condition: That car of yours is falling apart.4if your life, your world, etc. falls apart, you suddenly have a lot of personal problems: When she left me, my world just fell apart.fall away phrasal verb1if something such as a feeling, a quality, or a noise falls away, it gradually becomes weaker or quieter and disappears: I closed the door, and the music outside fell away.2to become separated from something after being attached to it: There were places where the plaster had fallen away from the walls.3to become fewer in number and stop being able to be seen as you move through an area: As we drove, the rows of houses started to fall away and we could see open farmland.4literary to slope down: Here, the road falls away to the valley.fall back phrasal verb1if soldiers fall back, they move back because they are being attacked: He ordered the men to fall back.2literary to move backward because you are very surprised, frightened, etc.: They fell back in horror.fall back on something phrasal verb1to use something that you would prefer not to use when dealing with a difficult situation, especially because other methods have failed: In the end we had to fall back on our original plan. Well, at least she has her father’s money to fall back on.2to use a particular method, argument, etc. because it seems simple and easy, not because it is the best one to use: They tend to fall back on the same old excuses.fall behind phrasal verb1to fail to finish a piece of work or fail to pay someone money that you owe him or her at the right time OPP keep up: The manufacturers have fallen behind schedule.fall behind with/on something We fell behind with the payments on the car.2to become less successful than someone else OPP keep up: If you don’t come to class regularly, you’ll fall behind.fall behind somebody/something If we don’t release the new software soon, we will fall behind our competitors.3to go more slowly than other people so that they gradually move further ahead of you OPP keep up: The older walkers soon fell behind.fall down phrasal verb1be falling down if a building is falling down, it is in very bad condition2if someone’s pants, underpants, etc. fall down, they fall downward from his or her waist, especially accidentally3if an argument, plan, system, etc. falls down, it fails to work because of a particular fault: That’s where the whole argument falls down.4fall down on the job informal to fail to do what you should be doing in your job: The city is falling down on the job of keeping the streets clean.fall for phrasal verb informal1fall for something to be tricked into believing something that is not true: We told him we were French, and he fell for it! He said I’d double my money in six months and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker (=was completely deceived).► see thesaurus at believe2fall for somebody to suddenly feel romantic love for someone: Jackie’s fallen for a man half her age.fall in phrasal verb1if the roof, ceiling, etc. falls in, it falls onto the ground SYN collapse, cave in2to start walking behind or to form a line behind other people OPP fall out: fall in behind somebody The students fell in behind the leaders.fall into something phrasal verb1fall into place a)if parts of a situation that you have been trying to understand fall into place, you start to understand how they are related to each other: Suddenly all the clues started falling into place. b)if the parts of something that you want to happen fall into place, they start to happen in the way that you want: Things are finally falling into place for the team.2fall into the habit of something to start doing something, especially something that you should not do: He fell into the habit of stopping at the bar every night before going home.3to move somewhere quickly by relaxing your body and letting it fall on or against something: We came home and fell into bed. She fell into his arms.4informal to start doing something, especially by chance and not by trying to: I kind of fell into this job.5fall into somebody’s lap if an opportunity or something good falls into your lap, you get it by chance and good luck, without trying to get it: It was the perfect movie role, and it just fell into his lap.6to start to have a particular mood, especially suddenly: She’s unstable and liable to fall into sudden fits of rage.7fall into a conversation/discussion/argument etc. formal to start talking or arguing with someone: Half an hour after we met, Kirk and I fell into a heated discussion about the space program.8fall into ruin/disrepair/decay/disrepute etc. to start being in a state that is worse than before: Over the years the house had fallen into disrepair.9fall into step with somebody/something a)to start doing something in the same way as the other members of a group: The other countries on the Security Council are expected to fall into step with France. b)to start to walk next to someone else, at the same speed as he or she is walking10fall into a trap (also fall into the trap of something) to make a mistake that many people make: Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’re smarter than everyone else.11fall into line to obey someone or do what other people want you to do, especially when you do not want to do it at first: If you can persuade her, the others will soon fall into line.12fall into the hands/clutches of somebody if something falls into the hands of an enemy or dangerous person, the enemy, dangerous person, etc. gets control or possession of it: Somehow, the plans fell into the hands of an enemy spy.fall in with somebody phrasal verb to begin to spend time with someone, especially someone who is bad or does illegal things: I don’t like the crowd he’s fallen in with.fall off phrasal verb1 if part of something falls off, it becomes separated from the main part SYN drop off: This button keeps falling off. A branch had fallen off the tree.2 if the amount, rate, or quality of something falls off, it becomes less: Demand for records has fallen off dramatically.fall on/upon phrasal verb1fall on/upon somebody formal if a duty or responsibility falls on you, you are given that duty or responsibility SYN fall to: Responsibility for childcare usually falls on the mother.it falls on somebody to do something It fell on him to make the announcement.2somebody’s eyes/gaze/glance falls on/upon something used to say that someone sees something when he or she is looking at or for something else: As I looked around, my eyes fell on a young woman in a corner.3fall on/upon deaf ears if someone’s words fall on deaf ears, no one pays any attention to what he or she is saying: His pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears.4fall on/upon hard times to have problems because you do not have enough money: The factory eventually fell on hard times, and he was forced to declare bankruptcy.5fall on/upon somebody/something literary to suddenly attack or get hold of someone or something: Rebel forces fell upon the small outpost during the night.6fall on/upon something literary to eagerly start eating or using something: The kids fell upon the pizza as if they hadn’t eaten in weeks.fall out phrasal verb1if something such as a tooth or your hair falls out, it comes out: My dad’s hair fell out when he was only 30.2to have an argument with someone so that you do not agree with or are not friendly with him or her anymore: fall out with somebody Walker has recently fallen out with his publisher.3if a group of soldiers who are standing together fall out, they leave and go to different placesfall over phrasal verb1 if someone falls over something, he or she falls because of something on the ground that is in the way: Tommy fell over one of the electric cables.2 if something falls over, it falls from an upright position onto its side: The fence fell over in the wind.3be falling over yourself to do something to be very eager to do something, especially something you do not usually do: Sylvia was falling over herself to be nice to me.fall through phrasal verb if an agreement, plan, etc. falls through, it is not completed successfully: The deal fell through at the last minute.fall to phrasal verb1fall to somebody formal if a duty, especially a difficult one, falls to someone, it is his or her responsibility to do it SYN fall on: The job fell to me to give her the bad news about her father.2fall to something formal to start doing something with a lot of effort: We immediately fell to work on the project.3fall to doing something literary to start doing something: When things started going wrong, they fell to arguing among themselves. verb | noun
fallfall2 ●●● S2 W1 noun 1SEASON [singular, uncountable] the season between summer and winter, when the weather becomes cooler SYN autumn: Fall is my favorite season. fall fashions Brad’s going to Georgia Tech in the fall.the fall of 2007/1978/2015 etc. They were married in the fall of 1957. I met her last fall (=the last time it was fall). The new building opens next fall (=the next time it will be fall).2DECREASE [countable] a decrease in the amount, level, price, etc. of something SYN drop OPP rise: fall in a sudden fall in temperature overnightfall of a fall of almost 20%a sharp/steep/dramatic etc. fall a sharp fall in the birth rate3MOVEMENT DOWNWARD [countable] movement down toward the ground or toward a lower position: the fall of the rain on the roof A few years ago Don had a bad fall (=he fell onto the ground and hurt himself) from a ladder. Luckily the bushes next to the house broke my fall (=prevented me from falling too hard).4WATER falls [plural] a place where a river suddenly goes straight down over a cliff: Niagara Falls5LOSS OF POWER/SUCCESS [singular] a situation in which someone or something loses his or her position of power or becomes unsuccessful: fall of the fall of the Soviet Union the party’s fall from power It’s a book about the rise and fall (=the period of success and then failure) of communism in eastern Europe.6DEFEAT [singular] a situation in which a country, city, etc. is defeated by an enemy: the fall of something (to somebody) a movie about the fall of France in 19407fall from grace/favor a situation in which someone stops being respected by other people or loses a position of authority, especially because he or she has done something wrong8take the fall (for something) to be blamed and punished for a mistake or a crime, although you did not do it: Don’t expect me to take the fall for this.9AMOUNT OF SNOW ETC. [countable] an amount of snow, rocks, etc. that has fallen onto the ground: fall of a heavy fall of snow10SPORTS [countable] an act of forcing your opponent onto the ground in wrestling or judo11IN BIBLE the fall the occasion in the Bible when Adam and Eve did not obey God, and as punishment they had to leave the Garden of Eden