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cliffside

cliffside

4 3.4
The steep side of a cliff that looks over the sea
  • noun
  • /ˈklɪfˌsaɪd/
translation icon : acantilado
  • He carefully navigated the narrow path along the cliffside to reach the summit.
  • cliffside encampment
  • cliffside road
  • rocky cliffside

Examples

  • We used to stand on the cliffside, and right there, right in front of us was something so much more powerful than we'll ever be.

  • We drove on like the cliffside highway to Monaco.

  • What can this startling collection of artifacts found last year in a cliffside cave in northern Israel mean?

    Academic text (2009)
  • From the main town, she ascended a cliffside pathway of teeth sharp as arrowheads, large as stepping-stones.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • We walked past several of the dagobas and into a hut perched precariously on a cliffside.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Overhead, a red-tailed hawk banked hard, then swooped down the cliffside below.

    Blog text (26)
  • Up in the cliffside camp, I saw movement—glinting pricks of light.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • In the bright buff colors of the desert, this songbird eludes predatory falcons by camouflaging itself in the blackest cliffside shadows.

    Academic text (1991)
  • We enjoyed a picnic on the cliffside while watching the waves crash below.

  • The view from the cliffside was breathtaking as the sun set over the ocean.

Synonyms

cliff
vscliffside
438 1.0

A high, steep edge of rock or ground often by the sea

focuses on the sloping side or area beside that whole rock face
drop
vscliffside
41 5.3

A steep high face of rock, like a cliff

emphasizes the adjoining side overlooking such a descent rather than the fall itself
precipice
vscliffside
27 7.4

A very steep cliff with a sudden drop

is less extreme, meaning the side area rather than an overhang
edge of the cliff
vscliffside
6 3.6

The outer part of a cliff where the ground drops down sharply

is about the side area near that outer boundary rather than the exact rim
drop-off
vscliffside
5 5.5

A very steep edge of land or rock

refers to the nearby slope or area beside that abrupt drop
escarpment
vscliffside
3 8.2

A long steep slope or cliff that separates higher land from lower land

is narrower, meaning the immediate steep side rather than a long boundary
headwall
vscliffside
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A steep cliff at the top of a small mountain valley

is about the side overlooking a drop or water rather than a valley head
bluff
vscliffside
7.4

Very steep and high, like the edge of a cliff

is more general, meaning the side area rather than a named headland
scaur
vscliffside
  • Archaic
9.9

A steep rocky bank beside a river or stream

is similar but used for sides above any drop, not only river banks

Antonyms

98 1.0

A large flat area of land with few trees

4 3.4

A large area of land that has few or no hills

Surface Forms

cliffside singular
cliff sides plural
cliff sides plural

Morphology

cliffside = cliff + side (transparent) = cliff + side

The noun is a straightforward compound whose meaning 'the steep side or edge of a cliff' follows directly from 'cliff' + 'side'.

Etymology

Cliffside comes from cliff and side, so picture the steep 'edge' of a cliff where a village or a lighthouse might stand. That's why as a noun cliffside means 'the steep side or edge of a cliff'.