1 A2 neutral
To accidentally drop from a surface, vehicle, or object one was on or attached to.
"One of the tiles fell off the roof during the storm and smashed on the pavement below."
inseparable
fall off
A2 neutral inseparable intransitive
To drop from a surface, or to decrease in quantity or quality.
In plain English
To drop off something you are on, or to get smaller or worse.
What does "fall off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To decrease in quantity, quality, or level.
"Ticket sales have really fallen off since the venue raised its prices."
inseparable
3 A2 neutral
To become detached from something it was fixed to.
"The door handle fell off when I tried to open it — the screws must have rusted through."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To fall away from the surface of something, detaching and dropping.
Actually means
To drop off something you are on, or to get smaller or worse.
Usage tip
In its physical sense, very common and transparent ('fall off a bike'). In its figurative sense, describes declining numbers, quality, or interest. Both senses are very common across all registers.
Words that pair with "fall off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
bike wall cliff sales quality interest production attendance
How to conjugate "fall off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
fall off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
falls off
he/she/it
Past simple
fell off
yesterday
Past participle
fallen off
have + pp
-ing form
falling off
continuous
Hear "fall off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "fall off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "fall off"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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