cliff dweller: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal/Literary/Specialist
Quick answer
What does “cliff dweller” mean?
A person who lives in a dwelling built on the side of a cliff, literally or metaphorically.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who lives in a dwelling built on the side of a cliff, literally or metaphorically.
1. A resident of a tall apartment building. 2. Figuratively, an urbanite living in a high-rise building, often implying isolation or detachment from street-level life. 3. A member of certain ancient peoples, such as the Ancestral Puebloans, who built homes in cliffside alcoves.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. The figurative use for high-rise apartment residents is slightly more common in American English, particularly in dense urban contexts like New York.
Connotations
Similar in both varieties. The figurative sense often implies wealth, exclusivity, or isolation.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but the term is recognised. More likely to appear in literary, journalistic, or anthropological writing.
Grammar
How to Use “cliff dweller” in a Sentence
[adj] cliff dwellercliff dweller of [place]cliff dweller in [building/city]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cliff dweller” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- No common verb form.
American English
- No common verb form.
adverb
British English
- No common adverb form.
American English
- No common adverb form.
adjective
British English
- The cliff-dweller communities of ancient Britain are less documented.
- She has a cliff-dweller view from her Kensington flat.
American English
- They studied cliff-dweller architecture in the Southwest.
- His cliff-dweller lifestyle in Manhattan keeps him detached.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically in real estate marketing for luxury high-rises.
Academic
Used in archaeology/anthropology to refer to specific ancient cultures (e.g., 'the cliff dwellers of Mesa Verde'). In sociology/urban studies, used figuratively.
Everyday
Very rare. Understood but not commonly used in casual conversation.
Technical
Technical term in archaeology for members of the Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) and similar cultures.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cliff dweller”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cliff dweller”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cliff dweller”
- Using it to describe someone who merely lives on a hill (requires a steep cliff or tall building). Confusing it with 'cave dweller'. Using it in overly casual contexts where 'apartment resident' would be more natural.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency term. It is most common in specific contexts like archaeology, historical writing, or figurative literary descriptions of city life.
It is usually neutral or descriptive. In a modern context, it can sometimes carry a slightly negative or ironic connotation of detachment from ground-level community, but in real estate, it might be used positively to imply spectacular views.
A 'cave dweller' lives in a cave, which could be in any geological formation. A 'cliff dweller' specifically lives on the face of a steep cliff, often in a structure built into or onto it. All ancient cliff dwellers were technically cave dwellers, but not all cave dwellers were cliff dwellers.
It can be written as two words ('cliff dweller') or hyphenated, especially when used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., 'cliff-dweller ruins'). Both forms are acceptable.
A person who lives in a dwelling built on the side of a cliff, literally or metaphorically.
Cliff dweller is usually formal/literary/specialist in register.
Cliff dweller: in British English it is pronounced /ˈklɪf ˌdwel.ər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈklɪf ˌdwel.ɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Living in an ivory tower (similar connotation of detachment)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a very tall cliff. On its face are modern windows instead of caves. The people living behind those windows are the modern 'cliff dwellers' of the city.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MODERN CITY IS A CANYON. TALL BUILDINGS ARE CLIFFS. URBAN APARTMENT LIVING IS PRIMITIVE/PERILOUS DWELLING.
Practice
Quiz
In which field is 'cliff dweller' a specific technical term?