Meaning & use

fell down

verb·Everyday

Dropped suddenly to the ground, usually by accident, after losing balance or footing.

See it in a sentence

The toddler fell down twice while learning to walk across the yard.

He fell down on his responsibilities and left the team scrambling before the deadline.

A note on using this word

Figuratively, "fell down on" something means failed to do it properly, as in "fell down on the job."

Words with a similar meaning

trippedcollapsed

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

stood up

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