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fall
/fɔːl/
move downward under gravity
The leaf will fall from the tree.
The leaf moves downward to the ground due to gravity.
neutral
To move or drop downward under the force of gravity
Be careful not to fall on the ice.
Avoid dropping to the ground on the slippery surface.
This is the most common physical sense of the word.
Finance
neutral
To decrease in amount, value, or intensity
Stock prices fell sharply yesterday.
The value of shares decreased significantly.
Commonly used in finance, weather, and statistics.
neutral
To come into a specified state or condition
She fell asleep during the movie.
She entered the state of sleep.
Often followed by an adjective or past participle (fall silent, fall ill).
Collocations
fall behindfail to keep up with othersfall shortfail to meet a standardfall in lovebegin to love someone
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Irregular Verb Forms
Remember the irregular conjugation: Present (fall), Past (fell), Past Participle (fallen). Do not say 'falled'.
Gold Rule
Gravity vs. State
Use 'fall' for physical downward motion or entering a new state (fall asleep). Use 'drop' when you intentionally let something go.
Word Origin
From Old English 'feallan', of Germanic origin; related to German 'fallen'.
Usage Notes
As a verb, 'fall' is irregular (fall, fell, fallen). It is frequently used in phrasal verbs to express changes in state or position.
English Dictionary