fall
to suddenly go down onto the ground or towards the ground without intending to or by accident
He fell badly and broke his leg.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
verb (falls, falling, fell /, has fallen )
1 to go down quickly towards the ground:
The book fell off the table.
She fell down the stairs and broke her arm.
2 (also fall over) to suddenly stop standing:
He slipped on the ice and fell.
I fell over and hurt my leg.
3 to become lower or less:
In the desert the temperature falls quickly at night.
Prices have fallen again.
opposite rise
fall apart to break into pieces:
The chair fell apart when I sat on it.
fall asleep to start sleeping:
She fell asleep in the armchair.
fall behind to become slower than others, or not do something when you should do it:
She's falling behind with her school work.
fall for somebody to begin to love somebody:
He has fallen for someone he met on holiday.
fall in love with somebody to begin to love somebody:
He fell in love with Anna the first time they met.
fall out with somebody to argue with somebody so that you stop being friends:
Jane has fallen out with her best friend.
fall through If a plan falls through, it does not happen.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
fall
I. fall1 S1 W1 /fɔːl $ fɒːl/ BrE AmE verb (past tense fell /fel/, past participle fallen /ˈfɔːlən $ ˈfɒːl-/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: feallan]
1. MOVE DOWNWARDS [intransitive] to move or drop down from a higher position to a lower position:
The tree was about to fall.
The book fell from his hands.
Enough rain had fallen to flood the grounds.
fall down
Rob fell down the stairs.
She flushed and her eyes fell (=she looked down).
2. STOP STANDING/WALKING ETC [intransitive] to suddenly go down onto the ground after you have been standing, walking, or running, especially without intending to:
I fell and hit my head.
slip/stumble/trip etc and fall
He slipped and fell on the ice.
fall down
Lizzie fell down and hurt her knee.
Peter was playing by the river when he fell in (=fell into the water).
fall to/on your knees (=move down to the ground so that your body is resting on your knees)
She fell to her knees beside his body. ⇨ fall flat on your face at ↑flat3(5)
3. DECREASE [intransitive] to go down to a lower level, amount, price etc, especially a much lower one OPP rise:
The rate of inflation was falling.
The island is warm all year round and winter temperatures never fall below 10 degrees.
He believes that educational standards are falling.
fall from
Advertising revenue fell from $98.5 million to $93.3 million.
fall to
The number of subscribers had fallen to 1,000.
fall sharply/steeply (=by a large amount)
London share prices fell sharply yesterday.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people often say an amount or level goes down rather than falls:
▪ House prices have gone down again.
4. BECOME [intransitive, linking verb] to start to be in a new or different state
fall adj
I’ll stay with her until she falls asleep.
I think that I’ve fallen in love with Angela.
She fell ill with flu.
Albert fell silent and turned his attention to his food.
fall into
The house was empty for many years and fell into disrepair.
One false step can mean falling into debt.
He fell into despair.
5. BELONG TO A GROUP [intransitive always + preposition] to belong to or be part of a particular group, area of responsibility, range of things, or type of things
fall into
Many illnesses fall into the category of stress-related illnesses.
Leaders fall into two categories.
fall within
The judge said that this matter did not fall within the scope of the auditor’s duties.
fall under
The job falls under the heading of ‘sales and marketing’.
Meat production falls under the control of the Agriculture Department.
6. fall short of something to be less than the amount or standard that is needed or that you want:
This year’s profit will fall short of 13%.
He would sack any of his staff who fell short of his high standards.
7. fall victim/prey to something/somebody to get a very serious illness or be attacked or deceived by someone:
Breastfed babies are less likely to fall victim to stomach disorders.
people who fall victim to violence
8. night/darkness/dusk falls if night etc falls, it starts to become dark at the beginning of the night:
It grew colder as night fell.
Darkness had fallen by the time we reached home.
9. silence/a hush/sadness etc falls literary used to say that a person, group, or place becomes quiet, sad etc:
A long silence fell between us.
10. START DOING SOMETHING [intransitive] to start doing something or being involved with something, often without intending to:
I fell into conversation with some guys from New York.
He had fallen into the habit of having a coffee every time he passed the coffee machine.
11. fall 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 connected with each other:
Suddenly, all the details 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:
I was lucky because everything fell into place at exactly the right time.
12. fall to pieces/bits
a) to break into many pieces SYN fall apart:
The book had been well used and finally fell to pieces.
b) if something such as a plan or a relationship falls to pieces, it stops working properly SYN fall apart:
The family is falling to pieces.
13. be falling to pieces/bits if something is falling to pieces, it is in very bad condition, especially because it is very old SYN be falling apart:
The house is falling to pieces.
14. fall flat if a joke, remark, or performance falls flat, it fails to interest or amuse people:
Marlow’s attempts at jokes fell flat.
15. fall foul of somebody/something to do something which makes someone angry or which breaks a rule, with the result that you are punished:
He is worried that his teenage kids will fall foul of the law.
16. fall by the wayside to fail, or to stop being done, used, or made:
Health reform was one of his goals that fell by the wayside.
Luxury items fall by the wayside during a recession.
17. fall from grace/favour to stop being liked by people in authority:
He fell from grace for the first time when he was convicted of drink-driving.
18. fall from a great height to be forced to leave an important job or position, or lose the respect that people had for you
19. fall into the hands/clutches of somebody if something or someone falls into the hands of an enemy or dangerous person, the enemy etc gets control or possession of them:
He wants to prevent the business falling into the hands of a competitor.
We must not let these documents fall into the wrong hands.
20. fall into a trap/pitfall to make a mistake that many people make:
Don’t fall into the trap of feeling guilty.
21. fall into step
a) to start to walk next to someone else, at the same speed as them
fall into step beside/with
Holly slowed her pace and fell into step with the old man.
b) to start doing something in the same way as the other members of a group
fall into step with
The other countries on the Council are expected to fall into step with the US.
22. fall 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:
Most countries have signed the treaty but some are reluctant to fall into line.
23. HANG DOWN [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to hang down loosely
fall over
His dark hair fell over his face.
24. LIGHT/SHADOW [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to shine on a surface or go onto a surface:
The last rays of sunlight were falling on the fields.
Arthur’s shadow fell across the doorway.
25. SPECIAL EVENT/CELEBRATION [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to happen on a particular day or at a particular time:
I’d like to dedicate this record to all whose anniversaries fall at this time of year.
fall on
Her birthday will fall on a Friday this year.
26. LOSE POWER [intransitive] if a leader or a government falls, they lose their position of power:
The previous government fell after only 6 months in office.
27. BE 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
The city fell to the advancing Russian armies.
28. BE KILLED [intransitive] to be killed in a war SYN die
29. HIT [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to hit a particular place or a particular part of someone’s body
fall on
The first punch fell on his nose.
30. VOICE/SOUND [intransitive] if someone’s voice or a sound falls, it becomes quieter or lower OPP rise
31. it’s as easy as falling off a log spoken used to say that something is very easy to do
32. fall between two stools British English to be neither one type of thing nor another, or be unable to choose between two ways of doing something
33. fall on stony ground British English if a request, suggestion, joke etc falls on stony ground, it is ignored or people do not like it
34. fall from sb’s lips literary if words fall from someone’s lips, they say them
35. fall into sb’s lap if an opportunity falls into someone’s lap, they get it without having made any effort to get it
36. the 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 ‘report’, the stress falls on the second syllable.
⇨ be/fall under a spell at ↑spell2(3), ⇨ fall on your feet at ↑foot1(19), ⇨ sb’s face fell at ↑face1(2), ⇨ stand or fall by/on at ↑stand1(33)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ fall (also fall over, fall down) to suddenly go down onto the floor when standing, walking, or running: She fell on the stairs and broke her ankle. | Children are always falling over.
▪ trip on/over something to fall or almost fall when you hit your foot against something: Someone might trip over those toys. | I tripped on a piece of wood.
▪ slip to fall or almost fall when you are walking on a wet or very smooth surface: She slipped and hurt her ankle. | I was scared I would slip on the highly polished floor.
▪ stumble to almost fall when you put your foot down in an awkward way: He stumbled and almost fell. | One of our porters stumbled on the rough ground.
▪ collapse to fall suddenly and heavily to the ground, especially when you become unconscious: One of the runners collapsed halfway through the race.
▪ lose your balance to become unsteady so that you start to fall over: She lost her balance on the first step and fell down the stairs. | Have something to hold onto, in case you lose your balance.
▪ fall flat on your face to fall forwards so you are lying on your front on the ground: She fell flat on her face getting out of the car.
fall about phrasal verb British English
to laugh a lot about something:
It was so funny everyone just fell about laughing.
fall apart phrasal verb
1. if an organization, system, relationship etc falls apart, it stops being effective or successful:
Don’t be reckless or your plans may fall apart.
The health service is falling apart at the seams.
2. be falling apart to be in very bad condition:
Tommy’s old bicycle was rusty and falling apart.
3. to break into pieces:
The book fell apart in my hands.
4. to be unable to deal with your personal or emotional problems:
She had to get some rest or she was going to fall apart.
5. sb’s world/life falls apart if someone’s world or life falls apart, something very bad and serious happens which changes their life:
When his wife left him, his world fell apart.
fall away phrasal verb
1. to slope down:
From where we stood, the ground fell away sharply to the valley floor.
2. to become separated from something after being fixed to it:
The paint was falling away in patches.
3. if a feeling falls away, you stop having it, usually suddenly:
The view from the top was wonderful and our tiredness fell away.
4. British English to decrease SYN fall OPP rise:
Demand for our more theoretical courses has fallen away.
fall back phrasal verb
1. if soldiers fall back, they move back because they are being attacked SYN retreat:
He yelled for his men to fall back.
2. to move backwards because you are very surprised, frightened etc:
Scott fell back a pace in astonishment.
3. British English to decrease SYN fall OPP rise:
When inflation started to rise, house prices fell back.
fall back into something phrasal verb
to go back to doing something or behaving in a way which you did before:
I was amazed at how easily I fell back into the old routine.
fall back on somebody/something phrasal verb
to use something or depend on someone’s help when dealing with a difficult situation, especially after other methods have failed
have somebody/something to fall back on
She has no relatives to fall back on.
Where negotiation fails, they must fall back on the law. ⇨ ↑fallback
fall behind (somebody/something) phrasal verb
1. to go more slowly than other people so that they gradually move further ahead of you:
His mother was chatting and didn’t notice that he had fallen behind.
She hurt her ankle and had fallen behind the others.
2. to become less successful than other people, companies, countries etc:
After her time in hospital, Jenny’s parents are afraid she has fallen behind educationally.
Companies that are not market-driven risk falling behind the competition.
3. to fail to finish a piece of work or pay someone money that you owe them at the right time
fall behind (somebody/something) with/on
After losing his job, he fell behind with his mortgage payments.
The project has fallen behind schedule.
fall down phrasal verb
1. be falling down if a building is falling down, it is in very bad condition:
The bridge is falling down and will need a million dollars to repair it.
2. to fail because of a particular reason or in a particular way:
That’s where the whole argument falls down.
fall down on
He is falling down on the supervisory aspects of his job.
The local authority is falling down on the job of keeping the streets clean.
fall for somebody/something phrasal verb informal
1. to be tricked into believing something that is not true:
He is too smart to fall for that trick.
2. to start to love someone:
That was the summer I worked at the fairground, and met and fell for Lucy.
3. to like a place as soon as you see it
fall in phrasal verb
1. if the roof, ceiling etc falls in, it falls onto the ground SYN collapse
2. to start walking or forming a line of people behind someone else
fall in behind
His men fell in behind him.
fall into something phrasal verb
1. to move somewhere quickly by relaxing your body and letting it fall on something:
She turned and fell into his arms.
We fell into bed, exhausted.
2. to start doing something by chance:
I fell into the job really.
fall in with somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to accept someone’s ideas, decisions etc and not disagree with them:
Once she explained her problem, he was happy to fall in with her plans.
2. to become friendly with a person or group of people after meeting them by chance SYN get in with:
She fell in with the wrong crowd in her teens.
fall off phrasal verb
1. fall off (something) if part of something falls off, it becomes separated from the main part:
The door handle keeps falling off.
A button had fallen off her jacket.
2. if the amount, rate, or quality of something falls off, it decreases SYN fall OPP rise:
Audience figures fell off during the second series of the programme.
3. somebody nearly/almost fell off their chair spoken used to say that someone was very surprised when something happened:
When I saw my brother on the stage I nearly fell off my chair.
⇨ fall off the back of a lorry at ↑lorry
fall on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb
1. if a duty or job falls on someone, they are responsible for doing it:
The responsibility usually falls on the mother.
2. literary to eagerly start eating or using something:
She fell on the food as if she hadn’t eaten for days.
3. literary to suddenly attack or get hold of someone:
Some of the older boys fell on him and broke his glasses.
4. sb’s eyes/gaze/glance fall(s) on something if your eyes etc fall on something, you notice it:
His eyes fell on her bag. ‘Are you going somewhere?’
5. fall on hard/bad times to experience difficulties and problems in your life such as not having enough money:
The aim is to raise money for workers who have fallen on hard times.
6. fall on your sword to leave your job because your organization has done something wrong, and you are taking responsibility for it:
It was clear that the Prime Minister wanted her to fall on her sword.
⇨ fall on deaf ears at ↑deaf(5)
fall out phrasal verb
1. to have a quarrel
fall out with
Carrie’s always falling out with people.
2. if a tooth or your hair falls out, it is then no longer attached to your body:
The drugs made her hair fall out.
3. if soldiers fall out, they stop standing in a line and move away to different places
fall over phrasal verb
1. to fall onto the ground or to fall from an upright position:
Tommy fell over and cut his knee badly.
Her bike fell over.
2. fall over something to hit your foot against something by mistake and fall to the ground SYN trip over:
She fell over the dog and broke her front teeth.
3. fall over yourself to do something to be very eager to do something, especially something you do not usually do:
People were falling over themselves to help her.
fall through phrasal verb
if an agreement, plan, sale etc falls through, it is not completed successfully:
The studio planned to make a movie of the book but the deal fell through.
fall to somebody/something phrasal verb
1. if a duty or job falls to someone, they are responsible for doing it, especially when this is difficult or unpleasant:
It fell to me to give her the bad news.
2. written to start doing something:
They fell to work with a will.
fall to doing something
He fell to thinking about how nice a warm bath would be.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
fall
fall [fall falls fell falling fallen] verb, noun [fɔːl] [fɔːl]
verb (fell [fel] ; [fel] fall·en [ˈfɔːlən] ; [ˈfɔːlən] )
DROP DOWN
1. intransitive to drop down from a higher level to a lower level
• September had come and the leaves were starting to fall.
• They were injured by falling rocks.
• + adv./prep. Several of the books had fallen onto the floor.
• One of the kids fell into the river.
• The handle had fallen off the drawer.
• He fell 20 metres onto the rocks below.
• The rain was falling steadily.
STOP STANDING
2. intransitive to suddenly stop standing
• She slipped on the ice and fell.
• + adv./prep. I fell over and cut my knee.
• The house looked as if it was about to fall down.
see also fallen
OF HAIR/MATERIAL
3. intransitive + adv./prep. to hang down
• Her hair fell over her shoulders in a mass of curls.
SLOPE DOWNWARDS
4. intransitive ~ (away/off) to slope downwards
• The land falls away sharply towards the river.
DECREASE
5. intransitive to decrease in amount, number or strength
• Their profits have fallen by 30 per cent.
• Prices continued to fall on the stock market today.
• The temperature fell sharply in the night.
• falling birth rates
• Her voice fell to a whisper.
• + noun Share prices fell 30p.
Opp: rise
BE DEFEATED
6. intransitive to be defeated or captured
• The coup failed but the government fell shortly afterwards.
• ~ to sb Troy finally fell to the Greeks.
DIE IN BATTLE
7. intransitive (literary) to die in battle; to be shot
• a memorial to those who fell in the two world wars
BECOME
8. intransitive to pass into a particular state; to begin to be sth
• + adj. He had fallen asleep on the sofa.
• The book fell open at a page of illustrations.
• The room had fallen silent.
• She fell ill soon after and did not recover.
• ~ into sth I had fallen into conversation with a man on the train.
• The house had fallen into disrepair.
• + noun She knew she must not fall prey to his charm.
HAPPEN/OCCUR
9. intransitive (literary) to come quickly and suddenly
Syn: descend
• A sudden silence fell.
• Darkness falls quickly in the tropics.
• ~ on sb/sth An expectant hush fell on the guests.
10. intransitive + adv./prep. to happen or take place
• My birthday falls on a Monday this year.
11. intransitive + adv./prep. to move in a particular direction or come in a particular position
• My eye fell on (= I suddenly saw) a curious object.
• Which syllable does the stress fall on?
• A shadow fell across her face.
BELONG TO GROUP
12. intransitive + adv./prep. to belong to a particular class, group or area of responsibility
• Out of over 400 staff there are just 7 that fall into this category.
• This case falls outside my jurisdiction.
• This falls under the heading of scientific research.
Rem: Idioms containing fall are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example fall by the wayside is at wayside.
Word Origin:
Old English fallan, feallan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vallen and German fallen; the noun is partly from the verb, partly from Old Norse fall ‘downfall, sin’.
Thesaurus:
fall verb
1. I
• He fell onto the rocks below.
drop • • tumble • • plunge • • sink • • topple • • crash •
fall/drop/tumble/sink/crash down
fall/plunge to your death
2. I (usually used with an adverb or preposition)
• 70 millimetres of rain fell overnight.
come down • • rain • • pour •
rain falls/comes down/pours
fall/rain heavily/lightly/steadily
Fall, come down or rain? Rain is the most frequent verb and is used with the subject it. Fall and come down are used with a subject such as rain or snow.
3. I
• She slipped and fell on the ice.
fall down • • fall over • • stumble • • trip • • slip •
Fall, fall down or fall over? Fall and fall over are only used about people in this meaning. Fall down can be used about people, buildings or other structures that can stand and then suddenly stop standing.
4. I
• The temperature fell sharply in the night.
drop • • come down • • decline • • diminish • |formal decrease • |especially business sink • • slump • • plunge • • plummet • • tumble •
Opp: rise
fall/drop/come down/decline/diminish/decrease/sink/slump/plunge/plummet/tumble by 100, 25%, a half, etc.
fall/drop/come down/decline/diminish/decrease/sink/slump/plunge/plummet/tumble from 1 500 to 1 000
prices fall/drop/come down/decline/decrease/sink/slump/plunge/plummet/tumble
fall/drop/decline/decrease/slump/plunge dramatically
Fall, drop or decline? All these words can be used about numbers, levels, prices, profits and sales. Use decline to talk about a loss of economic strength in an area:
• The city/industry has declined (in importance).
A person's health or people's support for sth declines. Voices and temperatures fall or drop. Things can fall or decline over a period of time, but drop cannot be used in the progressive tenses:
• Sales have been falling/declining.
¤ Sales have been dropping.
Language Bank:
fall
Describing a decrease
▪ Car crime in Oxford fell significantly ▪ last year.
▪ Car crime fell ▪ by about a quarter over a 12-month period.
▪ The number of stolen vehicles dropped ▪ from 1 013 to 780, a fall of ▪ 26 per cent.
▪ According to this data, 780 vehicles were stolen, 26% down ▪ on the previous year.
▪ There was an 11% drop ▪ in reported thefts from motor vehicles, from 1 871 to 1 737.
▪ These figures show that, as far as car crime is concerned, the main trend is downwards ▪.
Language Banks at expect, illustrate, increase, proportion
Example Bank:
• A tile fell off the roof.
• Demand is likely to fall by some 15%.
• Expenditure on education fell by 10% last year.
• He fell from the fourth floor.
• He fell overboard in heavy seas.
• He stumbled and almost fell.
• Her hands fell limply to her sides.
• Loose bricks were falling down onto the ground.
• One of the children fell over.
• Out of over 400 staff there are just 14 that fall into this category.
• She fell headlong, with a cry of alarm.
• She fell heavily to the ground.
• She lifted her arm, but then let it fall.
• Tears fell freely from her eyes.
• That topic falls outside the scope of this thesis.
• The number of people unemployed has fallen from two million to just over one and a half million.
• The plate fell to the floor.
• The price of coal fell sharply.
• This case falls squarely within the committee's jurisdiction.
• Winter temperatures never fall below 10°C.
• the snow falling on the fields
• 70 millimetres of rain fell in just a few hours.
• Falling birth rates could have an impact on future economic growth.
• He fell 23 metres onto the rocks below.
• She slipped and fell on the ice.
Idioms: break somebody's fall ▪ take the fall
Derived: fall about ▪ fall apart ▪ fall away ▪ fall back ▪ fall back on somebody ▪ fall behind ▪ fall behind with something ▪ fall down ▪ fall for somebody ▪ fall for something ▪ fall in ▪ fall in with somebody ▪ fall into something ▪ fall off ▪ fall on somebody ▪ fall out ▪ fall over ▪ fall over somebody ▪ fall over yourself to do something ▪ fall through ▪ fall to somebody ▪ fall to something
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
fall / fɔːl / / fɑːl / verb ( fell , fallen ) (HAVE AN ACCIDENT)
A2 [ I ] to suddenly go down onto the ground or towards the ground without intending to or by accident:
The path's very steep, so be careful you don't fall.
He fell badly and broke his leg.
Athletes have to learn how to fall without hurting themselves.
She fell under a bus and was killed instantly.
The horse fell at the first fence.
I fell down the stairs and injured my back.
She had fallen, it appeared, from a great height.
The water's deep here, so don't fall in !
He fell into the river and drowned.
If you fell off the roof, you'd kill yourself.
He was leaning out of the window and fell out .
She fell five metres to the bottom of the ravine.
He fell to his death climbing the Matterhorn.
fall flat on your face informal to fall and land with your face down:
Poor Kathy fell flat on her face in the mud.
fall / fɔːl / / fɑːl / verb ( fell , fallen ) (BECOME LOWER)
B1 [ I ] to become lower in size, amount, or strength:
Demand for new cars has fallen due to the recession.
The standard of his work has fallen during the year.
Salaries in the public sector are expected to fall by 15 percent this year.
The temperature could fall below zero overnight.
Average temperatures fell by ten degrees.
The pound has fallen to its lowest-ever level against the dollar.
When the teacher walked in, the children's voices fell to a whisper (= they became very quiet) .
Share prices fell sharply this week.
fall / fɔːl / / fɑːl / verb ( fell , fallen ) (COME DOWN)
A2 [ I ] to come down onto the ground or from a high position to a lower position:
The snow had been falling steadily all day.
You can tell it's autumn because the leaves have started to fall.
She fell into bed, completely exhausted.
A bomb fell on the church and destroyed it.
A huge meteor fell to Earth in the middle of the desert.
He begged for mercy as the blows fell on him (= as he was being hit) .
fall to your knees ( also fall down on your knees ) to go down on your knees to show respect:
The people all fell to their knees and began to pray.
[ I ] When the curtain falls in the theatre, it comes down because the play or performance has ended:
The audience was still laughing as the curtain fell.
fall / fɔːl / / fɑːl / verb [ I usually + adv/prep ] ( fell , fallen ) (BELONG TO)
to belong to a particular group, subject, or area:
The material falls into three categories.
Matters of discipline fall outside my area of responsibility.
fall / fɔːl / / fɑːl / verb [ I + adv/prep , L ] ( fell , fallen ) (BECOME)
B1 to change to a particular condition from a different one:
He always falls asleep after drinking red wine.
Your rent falls due (= must be paid) on the first of the month.
She suddenly fell ill .
The book fell open (= opened by chance) at the page on Venice.
The government has fallen strangely silent on the subject of tax cuts after all its promises at the last election.
Silence fell on the group of men (= they became silent) as they received the news.
She fell under the influence of (= began to be influenced by) an older student.
fall / fɔːl / / fɑːl / verb ( fell , fallen ) (BE DEFEATED)
C2 [ I ] to be beaten or defeated:
The government finally fell after losing the support of the centre parties.
The president fell from power during the military coup.
C2 [ I ] If a place falls in a war or an election, an enemy army or a different political party gets control of it:
Rome fell to the Vandals in 455 AD.
The constituency fell to Labour at the last election, after ten years of Conservative rule.
[ I ] literary If soldiers fall while fighting, they are killed:
Many brave men fell in the fight to save the city.
During the war, he saw many of his comrades fall in battle .
[ I ] In cricket, when a wicket falls, the turn of the player who is hitting the ball ends:
Ten wickets fell in 22 overs.
fall / fɔːl / / fɑːl / verb [ I ] ( fell , fallen ) (HAPPEN)
C2 to come at a particular time or happen in a particular place:
Easter falls late this year.
My birthday will fall on a Friday this year.
Night/Darkness had fallen by the time we got back to the camp.
In the word 'table', the accent falls on the first syllable.
The Treasury has still not decided where the cuts will fall.
fall / fɔːl / / fɑːl / verb [ I usually + adv/prep ] ( fell , fallen ) (HANG DOWN)
C2 to hang down loosely:
The boy's hair fell around his shoulders in golden curls.
The veil fell almost to her waist.
fall / fɔːl / / fɑːl / verb ( fell , fallen ) (UNHAPPY)
your face/spirits fall If your face falls, you suddenly look unhappy or disappointed, and if your spirits fall, you suddenly feel unhappy or disappointed:
His spirits fell when he saw the distance he still had to go.
As she read her exam results, her face fell.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
fall
[fɔ͟ːl]
♦
falls, falling, fell, fallen
1) VERB If someone or something falls, they move quickly downwards onto or towards the ground, by accident or because of a natural force.
[V prep] Her father fell into the sea after a massive heart attack...
[V prep] Prince Charles has again fallen from his horse...
Bombs fell in the town...
[V out/off] I ought to seal the boxes up. I don't want the books falling out...
[V-ing] Twenty people were injured by falling masonry.
N-COUNT: oft N from n
Fall is also a noun. The helmets are designed to withstand impacts equivalent to a fall from a bicycle.
2) VERB If a person or structure that is standing somewhere falls, they move from their upright position, so that they are then lying on the ground.
The woman gripped the shoulders of her man to stop herself from falling...
[V prep/adv] We watched buildings fall on top of people and pets...
[V prep/adv] He lost his balance and fell backwards.
Derived words:
fallen ADJ ADJ n A number of roads have been blocked by fallen trees.
N-COUNT
Fall is also a noun. Mrs Briscoe had a bad fall last week.
PHRASAL VERB
Fall down means the same as fall. V P I hit him so hard he fell down... V P Children jumped from upper floors as the building fell down around them.
3) VERB When rain or snow falls, it comes down from the sky.
→ See also rainfall, snowfall
Winds reached up to 100mph in some places with an inch of rain falling within 15 minutes.
N-COUNT: N of n
Fall is also a noun. One night there was a heavy fall of snow.
4) VERB If you fall somewhere, you allow yourself to drop there in a hurried or disorganized way, often because you are very tired.
[V prep] Totally exhausted, he tore his clothes off and fell into bed...
[V prep] In the morning I got as far as the sofa and fell on to it.
5) VERB If something falls, it decreases in amount, value, or strength.
[V by n] Output will fall by 6% in the EC...
[V to/from n] Her weight fell to under seven stones...
[V amount] Between July and August, oil product prices fell 0.2 per cent...
The number of prosecutions has stayed static and the rate of convictions has fallen.
[V-ing] ...a time of falling living standards and emerging mass unemployment.
Syn:
drop
Ant:
rise
N-COUNT: usu sing
Fall is also a noun. There was a sharp fall in the value of the pound.
6) VERB If a powerful or successful person falls, they suddenly lose their power or position.
Regimes fall, revolutions come and go, but places never really change...
[V from n] The moment Mrs Thatcher fell from power has left a lasting imprint on the world's memory.
Ant:
rise
N-SING: with poss
Fall is also a noun. Following the fall of the military dictator in March, the country has had a civilian government... Her rise has mirrored his fall.
7) VERB If a place falls in a war or election, an enemy army or a different political party takes control of it.
[V to n] Croatian army troops retreated from northern Bosnia and the area fell to the Serbs...
With the announcement `Paphos has fallen!' a cheer went up from the assembled soldiers.
N-SING: usu N of n
Fall is also a noun. ...the fall of Rome.
8) VERB If someone falls in battle, they are killed. [LITERARY]
Another wave of troops followed the first, running past those who had fallen.
9) V-LINK You can use fall to show that someone or something passes into another state. For example, if someone falls ill, they become ill, and if something falls into disrepair, it is then in a state of disrepair.
[V in/into/out of n] It is almost impossible to visit Florida without falling in love with the state...
[V in/into/out of n] `Business to Business' was taken over by another company after it fell into debt...
[V adj] I took Moira to the cinema, where she fell asleep...
[V n] Almost without exception these women fall victim to exploitation.
10) VERB If you say that something or someone falls into a particular group or category, you mean that they belong in that group or category.
[V into n] The problems generally fall into two categories...
[V into n] Both women fall into the highest-risk group.
11) VERB If the responsibility or blame for something falls on someone, they have to take the responsibility or the blame for it. [WRITTEN]
[V on n] That responsibility falls on the local office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees...
[V on n] A vastly disproportionate burden falls on women for child care...
[V on n] A lot of suspicion fell on her.
12) VERB If silence or a feeling of sadness or tiredness falls on a group of people, they become silent, sad, or tired. [WRITTEN]
[V on/over n] The bus was stopped and silence fell on the passengers as the police checked identity cards.
Syn:
descend
13) VERB If a celebration or other special event falls on a particular day or date, it happens to be on that day or date.
[V on n] ...the oddly named Quasimodo Sunday which falls on the first Sunday after Easter.
14) VERB When light or shadow falls on something, it covers it.
[V across/over/on n] Nancy, out of the corner of her eye, saw the shadow that suddenly fell across the doorway.
15) VERB If someone's hair or a garment falls in a certain way, it hangs downwards in that way.
[V prep/adv] Her hair was dressed in soft waves, falling on her cheek in a manner fashionable in the early 1930s.
16) VERB If you say that someone's eyes fell on something, you mean they suddenly noticed it. [WRITTEN]
[V on/upon n] As he laid the flowers on the table, his eye fell upon a note in Grace's handwriting.
17) VERB When night or darkness falls, night begins and it becomes dark.
As darkness fell outside, they sat down to eat at long tables.
18) N-PLURAL: oft in names after n You can refer to a waterfall as the falls.
The falls have always been an insurmountable obstacle for salmon and sea trout.
...Niagara Falls.
19) N-VAR Fall is the season between summer and winter when the weather becomes cooler. [AM]
He was elected judge in the fall of 1991...
The Supreme Court will not hear the case until next fall.(in BRIT, use autumn)
20) N-PROPER: the N In the Christian religion, the Fall was the occasion when Adam and Eve sinned and God made them leave the Garden of Eden.
21) N-COUNT In some sports such as judo and wrestling, a fall is the act of throwing or forcing your opponent to the floor.
22) VERB In cricket, when a wicket falls, the team who are fielding get one of the batsmen out.
The last seven wickets fell for ten runs.
23) → See also fallen
24) PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR at/to n If something falls open, it opens accidentally.
By chance the book beside him fell open to St. Paul's warning to the Romans...
The basket that she was carrying fell open.
25) PHRASE: V inflects, oft cont If you say that people are falling over themselves to do something, you mean that they are very enthusiastic about doing it, and often that you disapprove of this. [INFORMAL]
Within days of his death those same people were falling over themselves to denounce him.
26) PHRASE: V inflects To fall to pieces, or in British English to fall to bits, means the same as to fall apart.
At that point the radio handset fell to pieces.
27) to fall on your feet → see foot
to fall foul of → see foul
to fall flat → see flat
to fall from grace → see grace
to fall into place → see place
to fall short → see short
to fall into step → see step
to fall into the trap → see trap
to fall by the wayside → see wayside
Phrasal Verbs:
- fall about
- fall apart
- fall away
- fall back
- fall back on
- fall behind
- fall down
- fall for
- fall in
- fall into
- fall in with
- fall off
- fall on
- fall out
- fall over
- fall through
- fall to
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1fall /ˈfɑːl/ verb falls; fell /ˈfɛl/; fall·en /ˈfɑːlən/; fall·ing [no obj]
1 a : to come or go down quickly from a high place or position
• An apple fell from the tree.
• A vase fell off the shelf.
• Rain fell from the sky.
• the sound of the falling rain
b : to come or go down suddenly from a standing position
• She slipped and fell on the ice.
• He fell flat on his face.
• She was afraid that I would trip and fall.
• He fell down the stairs.
• One of the sailors had fallen overboard.
• a fallen tree
- often + down or over
• She fell down and hurt herself.
• The tree fell over during the storm.
c : to let yourself come or go down to a lower position
• He fell [=dropped, sank] to his knees and asked for forgiveness.
• He fell back/forward onto the bed.
2 a : to come down at a particular place after moving through the air
• The shot fell a great distance from its target.
- often + on
• A ray of light fell on the table.
- sometimes used figuratively
• music falling on the ear
b : to slope downward - usually + away
• The ground falls away to the east.
• The sides of the ridge fall away steeply.
c : to hang down
• Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders.
3 a : to become lower
• The tide rose and fell.
• The temperature fell after dark.
• His heart rate fell (off) dramatically.
• The value of the stock has fallen drastically.
b : to become less
• Participation in the group has fallen. [=declined]
- often + off
• Participation in the group has fallen off.
• Factory production has fallen off.
c : to lose value : to suffer a decline in prices
• Stocks fell several points in early trading today.
• The market is continuing to fall.
d : to become less loud
• His voice fell (to a whisper).
• The music rose and fell.
4 a of a glance or the eyes : to become lowered
• Her eyes fell. [=she looked down]
b of the face : to begin to look ashamed or disappointed
• His face fell [=he looked disappointed] when he heard the news.
5 of night or darkness : to arrive or begin
• Darkness falls early in the winter.
• Night has fallen.
6 a : to be wounded or killed in battle
• Many men fell on the battlefield that day.
b : to be captured or defeated
• The fortress fell on the third day of the siege.
c : to experience ruin or failure
• A great civilization fell in less than a century.
• a fallen [=disgraced] leader
• We will stand or fall together.
• a politician who has fallen from power
• The coalition government fell after only six months in office.
7 a : to happen at a specified time
• Christmas falls on a Friday this year.
• The worst weather of the year fell during his vacation.
b
- used when something (such as a responsibililty) comes or passes to someone in a way that does not involve choice
• It fell to me [=it was my responsibility] to tell them about the car accident.
• Responsibility for the damage falls with the other driver.
• The estate fell to his brother. [=his brother inherited the estate]
c : to have a specified proper place
• The accent falls on the second syllable.
• The comma falls inside the quotation mark.
8 : to belong in a particular category or range
• This word falls within the class of verbs.
• Her political views fall somewhere between liberal and conservative.
• His creative output falls into three distinct categories.
9 a
- used when someone's body or mind passes from one condition or state to another
• She fell ill/sick.
• He fell asleep.
b
- used when something passes to a different and usually a less active or less desirable state or condition
• The crowd fell silent.
• This word has fallen [=gone] out of use. = This word has fallen into disuse. [=this word is no longer used]
• His theories have now fallen into disrepute/disfavor.
• The machinery has fallen into disrepair.
10 : to start doing something in a very active and energetic way - + to
• She came in and fell immediately to work.
(as) easy as falling off a log
- see 1easy
fall afoul of
- see afoul of
fall (all) over yourself : to be very eager or too eager
• Fans were falling over themselves trying to meet the basketball star.
• Reviewers are falling all over themselves to praise her latest novel.
fall apart [phrasal verb]
1 : to break into parts in usually a sudden and unexpected way
• The pie was falling apart as I tried to serve it.
- often used figuratively
• I feel as if my family is falling apart.
✦Something that is falling apart is in very bad condition.
• My old car is falling apart.
• The house was falling apart when we bought it.
2 : to become unable to live in a normal way because you are experiencing a lot of confusion or emotional pain
• She began to fall apart when her son was imprisoned.
fall away [phrasal verb] : to become gradually less : to disappear gradually
• The sound of the parade fell away in the distance.
fall back [phrasal verb]
1 : to move back away from something dangerous or threatening : retreat
• The crowd fell back when the police arrived.
• The guerrillas fell back across the border after a brief battle with the army.
2 fall back on (something) also fall back upon (something) : to use (something) for help or protection when you are in a bad situation
• When her health insurance was canceled she had nothing to fall back on.
• They had to fall back on their emergency supplies when the snow storm blocked the road to town.
fall behind [phrasal verb]
1 : to fail to move or go forward as quickly as others
• We had to stop several times so that the slower hikers wouldn't fall (too far) behind.
2 : to fail to do something as quickly as planned or required - often + with
• We've been falling further behind with our work.
- often + on
• I am falling behind on my homework.
• We fell behind on our car payments.
fall down on the job : to do a job badly
• The people who are supposed to be keeping the city clean have been falling down on the job.
fall flat : to produce no response or result
• All of his jokes fell flat. [=no one laughed at his jokes]
fall for [phrasal verb]
1 fall for (someone) : to feel a strong attraction for (someone) : to fall in love with (someone)
• He fell for her the moment he saw her.
• He fell for her hard. = He fell hard for her. = He fell for her like a ton of bricks. [=he became deeply in love with her]
2 fall for (something) : to be fooled by (something, such as a trick)
• I can't believe you fell for that old trick.
fall foul of
- see 1foul
fall from grace
- see 1grace
fall in [phrasal verb]
1 : to break apart and fall down in an inward direction
• The roof fell in.
2 : to take your place in a military formation
• The troops were ordered to fall in.
- compare fall out (below)
fall in/into line : to start to do what you are told or required to do
• Several of the older companies have refused to fall in line (with the new regulations).
• It was weeks before the new prisoner fell into line.
fall in love, fall out of love
- see 1love
fall into [phrasal verb]
1 : to be caught in (a trap)
• We fell into a trap.
2 : to begin to do or experience (something) or to be affected by (something) without wanting or trying to
• He fell deeply into debt.
• She fell into her career almost accidentally.
• She fell into the habit of going out for ice cream every night.
fall into place : to fit together : to make sense
• The pieces of the puzzle/mystery are finally starting to fall into place.
fall into step
- see 1step
fall into the hands of : to come to be held or possessed by (someone)
• Officials are concerned that the stolen weapons may fall into the hands of terrorists. [=that terrorists may get/obtain the stolen weapons]
fall into the wrong hands : to come to be held or possessed by the wrong person or group
• There could be a disaster if the weapons fell into the wrong hands.
fall into your lap
- see 1lap
fall in with [phrasal verb]
1 fall in with (someone) : to begin to spend time with (someone)
• Their daughter fell in with a bad crowd.
2 fall in with (something) : to accept and act in agreement with (something)
• They readily fell in with our plans.
fall off [phrasal verb] : to stop being attached to something
• The handle was so loose that it almost fell off.
- see also 1fall 3b (above)
fall on/upon [phrasal verb]
1 fall on/upon (something)
a : to begin to experience (something) : to meet with (an experience)
• We fell on hard times after I lost my job.
• The company fell upon some unexpected competition.
b : to notice (something) especially without wanting or trying to
• Her eyes/glance fell on the letter on his desk.
2 fall on/upon (someone) : to attack (someone) suddenly
• They fell on the enemy soldiers and killed every one of them.
fall on deaf ears
- see 1ear
fall on your feet
- see 1foot
fall out [phrasal verb]
1 of a tooth or hair : to stop being attached to the body
• The cancer treatments made her hair fall out.
2 : to have an argument
• They fell out [=fought, argued] over money.
• He had fallen out [=quarreled] with his neighbor.
- see also falling-out
3 : to leave your place in a military formation
• The soldiers were ordered to fall out.
- compare fall in (above)
fall over backward
- see 1backward
fall prey to
- see 1prey
fall short
1 : to fail to be as good or successful as expected or hoped for
• In comparison to her previous novel, this one falls short. [=this one is not as good]
- often + of
• Her current book falls short of her previous novel.
• The cruise fell short of our expectations. [=the cruise was not as good as we expected it to be]
2 : to fail to reach a goal
• Their efforts fell short.
- often + of
• Their efforts fell (far) short of (achieving) their goal.
fall through [phrasal verb] : to fail or stop in a sudden or final way
• Contract negotiations have fallen through.
• Our vacation plans have fallen through.
fall through/between the cracks
- see 2crack
fall through the net
- see 1net
fall to pieces
- see 1piece
fall under [phrasal verb] fall under (something) : to be influenced or affected by (something)
• He fell under her influence.
• fall under a spell
• He has fallen under suspicion. [=people have begun to suspect him of doing something]
fall victim to
- see victim
let the chips fall where they may
- see 1chip
