to take a tumble
7
5.4
- idiom
:
caer
- Next time you take a tumble, no frowns.
- stocks took a tumble
- market took a tumble
- took a tumble down the stairs
I hate to say it, but if the narcissistic person fails, takes a tumble, gets a public humiliation, it makes healing so much easier.
- I hate to say it, but if the narcissistic person fails, takes a tumble, gets a public humiliation, it makes healing so much easier.
Examples
-
As Bauer tracked his high-flying pancake after the flip, he managed to take a tumble off the stage, causing the crowd to gasp.
Blog text (23) -
Melissa Gilbert's "Dancing" partner took a tumble on Monday night's show, and some say she did, too.
Blog text (5) -
Gosh, I look away for five minutes and you take a tumble!
Blog text (7) -
I took a tumble and put out my hand to break my fall foolishly.
Fiction book (1994) -
"And then," Mr. Gowan went on with a sigh, "he rose from his bed too soon and took a tumble down the stairs that broke the other leg."
Fiction book (1991) -
While playing soccer, he accidentally took a tumble when he tripped over his own feet.
-
The recent winter storms caused many hikers to take a tumble on the icy trails.
-
She was so focused on the view that she took a tumble down the rocky path.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Move or drop down from a higher to a lower place
250
1.0
Suddenly move from a standing position to the ground or a lower level
219
2.2
To cause someone to stumble or lose balance
129
1.6
To trip or lose balance while walking and almost fall
108
3.5
To fall forward or tip onto the ground
93
5.8
Fall suddenly and steeply from a high place or in amount
93
4.1
To fall over or make something fall over, often suddenly when it loses balance
85
1.4
Lose your balance and drop down from something like a ladder
83
3.8
To fall or drop suddenly from a higher to a lower place
67
1.0
To lose your balance or stop being steady and end up on the ground
28
4.4
To fall suddenly in price or value
22
3.9
Suddenly fall down because something is weak or hit hard
16
5.7
Fall down suddenly because you faint or feel very weak
4
5.8
To fall quickly and steeply, like a plane or stocks
3
8.4
Start to fail after a time of success
3
7.5
Drop to the ground quickly to avoid danger
2
6.7
Move quickly and without control down a hill or road
1
9.1
To fall with a sudden heavy splash or thud
To fall suddenly to a much lower level
To fall or sit down suddenly and hit your bottom
To drop suddenly onto the floor and lie face down or stretched out
Antonyms
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'tumble' denotes a fall or roll and 'take' here means to undergo or experience, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer 'to fall' or 'to experience a decline'. The 'take + a + noun' pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, making the idiom predictable from its parts.
Etymology
Take a tumble comes from the old word tumble, which meant to fall or roll suddenly, so imagine someone tripping and rolling on the ground. So to 'take a tumble' now means to fall suddenly or, for things like prices, to 'fall sharply'.