fall down
B1Neutral to Informal
Definition
Meaning
To drop to the ground from a standing or elevated position, losing one's balance or support.
To fail, collapse, or prove inadequate; to not meet a required standard or expectation.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a phrasal verb with literal and metaphorical uses. The particle 'down' is essential for the idiomatic sense of failure. Often implies an unintended or negative descent/collapse.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Both use the literal and metaphorical senses identically.
Connotations
Identical across both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common and natural in both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] falls down (on [object])[Subject] falls down (prepositional phrase of location)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “fall down on the job”
- “fall down like ninepins”
- “the weakest link in the chain is where it falls down”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The proposal falls down on the financial projections." (Meaning it fails due to that aspect)
Academic
"The theory falls down when applied to edge cases."
Everyday
"Mind you don't fall down on that icy pavement!"
Technical
"The structure fell down due to lateral load failure."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The toddler might fall down if you let go.
- Their defence fell down at the final hurdle.
American English
- Be careful you don't fall down the embankment.
- The deal fell down over licensing rights.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The book fell down from the shelf.
- He fell down and hurt his knee.
- The old wall fell down in the storm.
- Her excuse falls down when you examine the facts.
- The government's strategy falls down because it fails to address public concerns.
- Several runners fell down on the slippery track.
- The prosecution's case began to fall down under rigorous cross-examination, revealing fatal flaws in its logic.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a clown (the 'down' sounds like 'clown') who keeps FALLing over.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAILURE IS FALLING (e.g., plans fall down, arguments fall down).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation from 'падать вниз' as it is redundant; 'fall' already implies downward motion. Use просто 'падать' or 'упасть'. For metaphorical sense, use 'провалиться', 'не выдержать критики', 'оказаться несостоятельным'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'fall down' for controlled descent (e.g., 'He fell down from the ladder' is okay, but 'He fell down gently' is odd). Overusing the particle 'down' when not needed for the failure sense (e.g., 'His health fell' vs. the more common 'His health fell down' – the latter is less idiomatic).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'fall down' used metaphorically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Often yes, but 'down' can add emphasis on the direction or completeness of the fall. In the metaphorical sense of failure, 'fall down' or 'fall down on' is the fixed phrasal verb.
Yes, for both literal ('The tower fell down') and metaphorical ('Your theory falls down here') uses.
'Fall down' emphasizes vertical descent to the ground. 'Fall over' emphasizes losing balance and tipping over from an upright position, often ending sideways. They are often interchangeable for people, but 'fall over' is less common for structures.
Yes. Fall (present) -> Fell (past) -> Fallen (past participle). So: 'He falls down' (present), 'He fell down' (past), 'He has fallen down' (present perfect).