cliff

cliff · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A steep rock face, especially at the edge of the sea or a mountain.

  2. 2.

    A vertical or near-vertical rock formation.

Forms

plural: cliffs

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    cliff edge — the brink of a cliff; a precarious situation
  • •
    cliff face — the vertical surface of a cliff
  • •
    cliffhanger — a story or situation with a suspenseful ending
  • •
    fiscal cliff — a sudden severe change in economic policy
  • •
    go over a cliff — to decline sharply

Related words

Antonyms: lowland, plain, valley
See also: cliffs, coast, mountain, precipice
Synonyms: bluff, crag, escarpment, precipice

Etymology

From Old English "clif" (cliff, steep slope, promontory), related to Dutch "klif" and German "Klippe" (cliff, crag). The word has Germanic origins and has remained largely unchanged in meaning for over a thousand years.