fallen (ˈfɔːlən
)
Definitions
verb
- the past participle of fall
adjective
- having sunk in reputation or honour ⇒
a fallen woman
- killed in battle with glory ⇒
our fallen heroes
- defeated
fall (fɔːl)
Definitions
verb
Word forms: falls, falling, fell, fɛl, fallen, ˈfɔːlən
(mainly intr) - to descend by the force of gravity from a higher to a lower place
- to drop suddenly from an erect position
- to collapse to the ground, esp in pieces
- to become less or lower in number, quality, etc ⇒
prices fell in the summer
- to become lower in pitch
- to extend downwards ⇒
her hair fell to her waist
- to be badly wounded or killed
- to slope in a downward direction
- Christianity to yield to temptation or sin
- to diminish in status, estimation, etc
- to yield to attack ⇒
the city fell under the assault
- to lose power ⇒
the government fell after the riots
- to pass into or take on a specified condition ⇒
to fall asleep
fall in love
- to adopt a despondent expression ⇒
her face fell
- to be averted ⇒
her gaze fell
- to come by chance or presumption ⇒
suspicion fell on the butler
- to occur; take place ⇒
night fell
Easter falls early this year
- (of payments) to be due
- to be directed to a specific point
- back, behind, etc to move in a specified direction
- to occur at a specified place ⇒
the accent falls on the last syllable
- (foll by to) to return (to); be inherited (by) ⇒
the estate falls to the eldest son
- into, under, etc to be classified or included ⇒
the subject falls into two main areas
- to issue forth ⇒
a curse fell from her lips
- (of animals, esp lambs) to be born
- British dialect to become pregnant
- (tr) Australian New Zealand dialect to fell (trees)
- cricket (of a batsman's wicket) to be taken by the bowling side ⇒
the sixth wicket fell for 96
- archaic to begin to do ⇒
fall a-doing
fall to doing
- See fall flat
- See fall foul of
- See fall short
noun
- an act or instance of falling
- something that falls ⇒
a fall of snow
- mainly US autumn
- the distance that something falls ⇒
a hundred-foot fall
- a sudden drop from an upright position
- (often plural)
- a waterfall or cataract
- ((capital when part of a name) ⇒
Niagara Falls
- a downward slope or decline
- a decrease in value, number, etc
- a decline in status or importance
- a moral lapse or failing
- a capture or overthrow ⇒
the fall of the city
- a long false hairpiece; switch
- a piece of loosely hanging material, such as a veil on a hat
- machinery nautical the end of a tackle to which power is applied to hoist it
- nautical one of the lines of a davit for holding, lowering, or raising a boat
pinfall wrestling a scoring move, pinning both shoulders of one's opponent to the floor for a specified period- hunting
- another word for deadfall
- ((as modifier) ⇒
a fall trap
- the birth of an animal
- the animals produced at a single birth
- See take the fall
See also
fall about , fall among , fall apart , fall away , fall back , fall behind , fall down , fall for , fall in , fall off , fall on , fallout , fall over , fall through , fall toWord Origin
Old English feallan ; related to Old Norse falla , Old Saxon, Old High German fallan to fall; see fell²Synonyms
View thesaurus entry=
drop,
plunge,
tumble,
plummet,
trip,
settle,
crash,
collapse,
pitch,
sink,
go down,
come down,
dive,
stumble,
descend,
topple,
subside,
cascade,
trip over,
drop down,
nose-dive,
come a cropper,
keel over,
face-plant,
go head over heels
=
decrease,
drop,
decline,
go down,
flag,
slump,
diminish,
fall off,
dwindle,
lessen,
subside,
ebb,
abate,
depreciate,
become lower
= be overthrown be taken
surrender,
succumb,
yield,
submit,
give way,
capitulate,
be conquered give in or up pass into enemy hands
=
decrease,
drop,
lowering,
decline,
reduction,
slump,
dip,
falling off,
dwindling,
lessening,
diminution,
cut,
=
collapse,
defeat,
surrender,
downfall,
death,
failure,
ruin,
resignation,
destruction,
overthrow,
submission,
capitulation,
Usage examples
I fell heavily on my shoulder and kicked out at whatever I had fallen over, which groaned.
, INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS (2002)The number of completed sales last month was equal to November's figure, marking the first time in nine months sales have not fallen.
Country Life (2005)The economy has grown by 3 per cent each year since 1982. Unemployment has fallen from 11 per cent in 1983 to 2 per cent today.
Irish Times (2002)Instead, the new SCU regime have fallen over themselves in a bid to make him feel welcome.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Heaven was certainly too much to contemplate in my fallen adolescent state.
, HEAVEN: A Traveller's Guide to the Undiscovered Country (2002)