Skip to main content
to fall

to fall

107 2.6
Hang or flow loosely and smoothly in a pleasing way
  • verb
  • /fɔl/
translation icon : caer
  • Her long dress falls elegantly to the floor, creating a beautiful silhouette.
  • hair falls

That is the natural way the fur wants to fall.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The fabric falls gently, giving the outfit a relaxed and graceful look.

  • And so this part would just fall like so.

  • Her fine brown hair was pulled to one side and fell across her shoulder.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • A gold panel of light from the open back door falls across the grass.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Her hair was pulled back from her face and fell at the back in ringlets.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Her head lowered, and her hair fell about her in a veil of silver light.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The barber starts on Drew's head, big clumps of hair falling down to the floor.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • She arranged her hair in such a way that it falls softly over her shoulders.

Synonyms

to hang
vsto fall
507 2.0

To fall loosely, like cloth or hair

emphasises graceful, flowing shape rather than mere loose arrangement
to flow
vsto fall
32 2.0

To hang or fall in a smooth and graceful way

focuses on an exact loose shape or position rather than general movement

Antonyms

1.0

To be or put something in an upright position

Idioms

To become available to people who might use it to harm others

11 6.5

Stop taking part or trying because of problems

A loss of status and respect after wrongdoing

To accept what happens and not try to change the result

6 7.6

To fail badly and embarrass yourself in front of other people

To fail completely and feel embarrassed in front of others

4 8.4

To accept blame or quit a job to protect other people

4 6.4

To get something good without trying or expecting it

To begin behaving badly again and lose people's respect

Not get noticed or dealt with

Children often look and behave like their parents

1 6.4

To react strongly because something is very funny or surprising

To not be easily fooled because you have experience

To get something good without effort or planning

1 9.1

To lose your balance and land on your backside in an awkward or embarrassing way

Suddenly fail completely because it is weak or badly built

To die as a Christian who trusts in God and expects life after death

Fail at the final stage after earlier success

To look much less attractive after a sudden change

Fail to reach either goal because you try to do both

Things sold or bought secretly because they were stolen

To die or suddenly lose an important position

To get things someone probably stole and sold cheaply

8.8

To go to bed or sleep

Accept a big risk to protect other people

To keep trying after many failures no matter how often you fail

Hug someone tightly because you feel very happy or relieved

Continue doing something with energy until you can no longer

Phrasal Verbs

950 2.5

To begin to feel strong romantic feelings for someone

To begin to feel strong romantic feelings for someone or something

376 1.0

To start sleeping

272 3.7

To join a group, team, or club

250 1.0

Suddenly move from a standing position to the ground or a lower level

to fall apart
  • Informal
193 4.2

To lose control of your feelings because of strong stress or sadness

155 2.8

To break into pieces or stop working properly

to fall for
  • Informal
148 4.3

To be tricked into believing something that is not true

137 3.6

To belong to a group or type

117 2.3

Separate from something by breaking or dropping

85 1.4

Lose your balance and drop down from something like a ladder

to fall for
  • Informal
84 3.7

To start to like someone as more than a friend

To not keep up with others or a schedule

67 1.0

To lose your balance or stop being steady and end up on the ground

64 3.9

Fail to reach the level people expect

57 3.7

To move back to a safer place when facing danger

to take the fall
  • Informal
55 7.5

Accept blame or punishment, often instead of someone else

53 3.5

To come out and drop from where it grew or was held

50 3.4

To be part of a group or category

49 2.6

Become less in number, amount, or quality

46 4.3

To use something for help when other options fail

To become clear and easy to understand after confusion

To fail to happen or be finished as planned

30 4.4

To collapse inward, as a roof or organization breaking down

To not reach the level people expect

Suffer harm you cannot avoid because of someone or something bad

23 3.0

To happen on a certain day or date

to fall flat
  • Informal
19 4.9

To fail to get a response or interest from people

19 4.3

To become less in amount or quality

to fall in line
  • Informal
18 4.3

To follow rules or other people after not wanting to at first

to fall in
  • Jargon
16 6.3

To form a line with other soldiers when ordered

15 3.6

To stop being friendly with someone after an argument

13 4.2

To begin an old bad habit again after trying to change

13 3.6

To move quickly backwards and lose balance so you land on something

9 4.4

To happen as a direct result of something

8 3.8

To move behind others in speed or progress

5 3.6

To find something by chance

4 3.0

To move apart by itself suddenly because of surprise or gravity

to fall out
  • Jargon
3 6.4

For soldiers to leave a formation when an officer gives an order

To move back when others move forward

to fall all over
  • Informal
1 7.6

To praise or thank someone too much and show strong liking for them

To drop into a hole by accident

Become tricked into a bad or dangerous situation

1 3.6

Start acting the same as before after trying to change

to fall around
  • Informal
1 4.2

Move and tumble on the ground in a happy, playful way

to fall asleep
  • Specialized
1 3.0

To go into low-power mode automatically when a device is idle

Start doing the same things in the same order every day

To drop suddenly onto the floor and lie face down or stretched out

To be tricked by someone's flattering words

To stop being noticed or thought about by someone

4.8

To try very hard to please or help someone more than needed

To feel sad or discouraged

Compounds

fall guy
  • Informal
19 7.6

A person who others blame so they avoid punishment

free fall
  • Specialized
6 4.0

Movement of something downwards while only gravity pulls it

6 4.6

A sudden large drop in value, often of stocks or prices

1 6.0

A moment when a play or show ends and the curtain comes down

Fall of Man
  • Literature
1 8.9

An event in the Bible when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, lost their innocence, and left the Garden

fall armyworm
  • Specialized
8.6

A caterpillar that eats and destroys corn and other grass crops

fall girl
  • Offensive
9.2

A woman who is easily tricked and often blamed for other people's mistakes

fall cankerworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A green or brown caterpillar with white stripes that eats tree leaves in autumn

A small European plant with yellow flowers that blooms in the fall and is now common in North America

6.0

The time when day and night are almost the same length, marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere

Fall of man
  • Literature
9.9

A Christian belief that people lose their innocence when they disobey God

fall webworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A caterpillar that lives in large silk nests on tree branches and eats the leaves in late summer and fall

4.7

A plant that produces flowers in autumn

A bush that loses its leaves and has large cone-shaped flowers in fall

A cover that folds down to protect piano keys when not played

How Graceful

to fall
107 2.6
drape
9 4.0
to hang
1.0
to cling
240 2.1

Surface Forms

fall infinitive
falling present participle
falls third person singular
fell past
fallen past participle

Etymology

When hair or cloth falls, it means it hangs or flows down in a smooth way; this sense comes from old English feallan 'to fall'. So to say fabric or hair 'falls' well is to say it hangs nicely.