cliff

cliff — noun

1. a tall, straight wall of rock that drops sharply downward, especially one that i

1.nounB1
Definition

a tall, straight wall of rock that drops sharply downward, especially one that is next to the sea

Example

Aiko stood at the edge of the cliff, watching the waves below.

collocation: cliff edge / edge of the cliff

The road runs along the top of a steep cliff above the ocean.

Common collocations
  • steep cliff
  • sheer cliff
  • high cliff
  • rocky cliff
  • coastal cliff
  • towering cliff
  • cliff edge
  • cliff face
  • cliff top
  • cliff path
  • climb a cliff
  • fall off a cliff
  • stand on a cliff
Synonyms
  • precipice

    more dramatic and literary; suggests a very steep or overhanging cliff with a sense of danger

  • bluff

    a broad, rounded cliff, usually found along a shoreline or riverbank; less steep than a typical cliff

  • crag

    a rough, steep rock that sticks out, often part of a larger cliff or mountain; common in descriptions of rugged landscapes

  • escarpment

    a long, steep slope separating two areas at different heights; often formed by geological faulting or erosion

Grammar Patterns

cliff + noun (attributive use)

Usage Note

Cliff is a countable noun. Common parts of a cliff include the edge (top), the face (side), and the foot (base). You can use specific measurements to describe a cliff, for example: a 50-metre cliff.

Common Mistakes

We climbed up the cliff mountain.
We climbed up the cliff.
A cliff is already a rock formation; adding 'mountain' is redundant and unnatural.
The boat sailed near the cliff's side.
The boat sailed near the cliff.
'Side' is implied by the word cliff; you do not need to specify 'cliff's side.'
Idioms

fall off a cliff

idiom

to drop or decline suddenly and dramatically, especially in value, sales, or popularity

After the product recall, the company's sales fell off a cliff.

The show's ratings fell off a cliff after the main actor left.

Word family

  • clifftop
    nounB2
  • cliffside
    nounC1
  • cliffhanger
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Cliff is the most general and common word for a steep, vertical rock face and is widely used in everyday language. A precipice is a much steeper, often overhanging cliff that suggests danger — it appears more in dramatic or literary writing than in casual conversation. A bluff is a broad, rounded cliff, usually found along a shoreline or riverbank, and is generally less steep than a cliff. A crag is a rough, projecting piece of rock on a cliff or mountain, often used when describing rocky, uneven landscapes. An escarpment is a long, steep slope that separates two areas of different elevation, typically formed by erosion or geological faulting. In daily use, cliff is the safest and most natural choice. For example: 'We walked along the cliff path above the sea.' A precipice would fit in: 'The hikers stopped at the edge of the precipice, afraid to move.' A bluff appears in: 'The river flowed past a low bluff.'

cliff ↗precipicebluff ↗cragescarpment

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • at the edge of a cliff
  • on top of a cliff
  • at the foot of a cliff
  • over the edge of a cliff

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Cliff comes from Old English clif, meaning 'a steep rock face.' It is related to Old Norse klif and Old High German klep. The word has stayed very close to its original meaning for more than a thousand years, always describing a steep wall of rock.