Fell — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈfel/

Meaning & Definition of Fell

Fell (noun)

  1. skin, hide, pelt
  2. a thin tough membrane covering a carcass directly under the hide
  3. a high barren field or moor

Fell (verb)

  1. to cut, knock, or bring down
  2. kill
  3. to sew (a seam) by folding one raw edge under the other and sewing flat on the wrong side

Fell (adjective)

  1. fierce, cruel, terrible
  2. sinister, malevolent
  3. very destructive, deadly

Fell (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall

    "a champion boxer who was shockingly felled in the first round"

    similar: bowl (down or over), down, drop, floor, knock down, knock over, level, mow (down), prostrate
    related: kayo, knock out, KO, overthrow, throw down, topple, bang, bash, belt, bludgeon, clobber, hammer, hit, jab, paste, poke, pound, punch, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, swat, swipe, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale

  2. to bring down by cutting

    "the settlers began the daunting task of felling the mighty trees that blanketed the island"

    similar: chop (down), cut (down), hew, mow
    related: bulldoze, demolish, flatten, level, raze, tear down

  3. to deprive of life

    "the quest for a cure for malaria, the disease that felled so many during the digging of the Panama Canal"

    similar: carry off, claim, croak (slang), destroy, dispatch, do in, kill, slay, take, do away with, do for (chiefly British), make away with
    related: bump off, butcher, cut down, finish, get, ice (slang), knock off, murder, neutralize, off (slang), put away, rub out, scrag, snuff, take out, waste, whack (slang), annihilate, blot out, decimate, kill off, massacre, mow, slaughter, smite, assassinate, execute, martyr, terminate, euthanize, put down, suicide
    opposite: animate
    near: raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive, nurture

Fell (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. likely to cause or capable of causing death

    "planning for the distribution of resources in case of some fell event"

    similar: baleful, deadly, deathly, fatal, killer, lethal, mortal, murderous, pestilent, terminal, vital
    related: baneful, deleterious, destructive, harmful, injurious, noxious, pernicious, truculent, infectious, infective, pestilential, poisonous, sublethal, toxic, virulent, dangerous, grave, grievous, hazardous, jeopardizing, menacing, parlous, perilous, risky, serious, threatening, ugly, unhealthy, unsound, bloody, internecine, sanguinary, sanguine
    opposite: healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal, wholesome
    near: beneficial, restorative, salubrious, salutary, alleviative, corrective, curative, remedial, tonic, advantageous, useful, nonpoisonous, nontoxic, safe

  2. violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition

    "a once-mighty nation conquered by a fell and barbarous enemy"

    similar: ferocious, fierce, grim, savage, vicious
    related: argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, scrappy, warlike, bare-knuckle, blood-and-guts, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners, contentious, quarrelsome, truculent, menacing, threatening, bestial, brute, inhuman, inhumane, barbaric, uncivilized, wild, heartless, implacable, merciless, pitiless, relentless, ruthless, unrelenting, wanton, bloodthirsty, bloody, homicidal, murdering, murderous, sanguinary, sanguine, rapacious, ravenous, voracious
    opposite: gentle, mild, unaggressive
    near: amicable, companionable, comradely, congenial, cordial, friendly, genial, hearty, warm, warmhearted, compliant, submissive, tame, benign, compassionate, kind, merciful, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, amiable, complaisant, obliging, human, humane, civilized, cultured

Related Entry: Fall (verb)

Fall is a different word from Fell. The synonyms below are for fall, not for fell.

  1. to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily

    "better sand that walkway before somebody falls on the ice"

    similar: slip, stumble, topple, trip, tumble
    related: collapse, crumple, drop, flump, keel, plop, plunk, slump (over), crash, free-fall, nose-dive, plummet, plunge, precipitate, wipe out, skid, slide
    opposite: get up, rise, stand (up), uprise

  2. to yield to the control or power of enemy forces

    "the city fell after weeks of merciless bombardment"

    similar: capitulate, give up, knuckle under, submit, succumb, surrender
    related: bow, buckle, cave (in), collapse, give (in), hand over, relinquish, lose, concede, fail, fold
    opposite: endure, stand
    near: buck, defy, fight, oppose, repel, resist, withstand, beat, overcome, win, conquer, prevail, triumph

  3. to go to a lower level especially abruptly

    "word soon got out that the movie was no good, and box-office receipts fell like a rock"

    similar: crash, crater, decline, descend, dip, dive, drop, lower, nose-dive, plummet, plunge, sink, skid, tumble
    related: abate, decrease, de-escalate, die (down), diminish, droop, dwindle, ebb, lessen, let up, moderate, subside, taper off, wane, recede, retreat
    opposite: arise, ascend, lift, mount, rise, soar, spike, up
    near: accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon, enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mushroom, pick up, snowball, swell, wax

  4. to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually

    "manufacturing in the area is falling, and closing signs are going up all over"

    similar: abate, de-escalate, decline, decrease, die (away or down or out), diminish, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall away, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down), recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, taper, taper off, wane
    related: compress, condense, constrict, contract, evaporate, fade (away), fritter (away), give out, melt (away), peter (out), tail (off), vanish, slacken, slow (down), alleviate, relax, flag, sink, weaken, cave (in), collapse, deflate
    opposite: accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon, enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mount, mushroom, pick up, rise, snowball, soar, swell, wax
    near: appear, emerge, show up, blow up, distend, elongate, lengthen

  5. to lead or extend downward

    "the lake bottom falls sharply just a few feet from the shoreline, so be careful"

    similar: decline, descend, dip, drop, plunge, sink
    related: angle, cant, cock, heel, incline, lean, list, recline, slant, slope, tilt, tip
    opposite: arise, ascend, climb, mount, rise, uprise, upsweep, upturn
    near: even, flatten, level, plane, smooth, straighten

  6. to undergo defeat

    "not surprisingly, the novice player fell to a much stronger opponent"

    similar: bow out, lose, take the count
    related: falter, tank, throw, forfeit, bomb, collapse, crack (up), fail, flop, flunk, fold, founder, miss, strike out, wash out
    opposite: conquer, prevail, triumph, win
    near: flourish, prosper, succeed, thrive

  7. to commit an offense

    "even saints can fall"

    similar: err, offend, sin, stray, transgress, trespass, wander, break the law, fall from grace
    related: breach, break, infringe, violate, backslide, lapse, mess up
    near: forgive, justify, pardon, regret, repent, rue

  8. to stop living

    "if their brave leader falls, the men will lose their courage"

    similar: check out, conk (out), croak (slang), decease, demise, depart, die, drop, end, exit, expire, flatline, go, kick in (slang), kick off (slang), part, pass (on), pass away, peg out (chiefly British), perish, pop off, step out, succumb, bite the dust, buy it, give up the ghost, kick the bucket, snuff it (British)
    related: predecease, consume, disappear, dry up, fade, fail
    opposite: breathe, live
    near: come to, revive, linger, be, exist, subsist, flourish, prosper, thrive

Related Entry: Fall (to) (verb)

Fall (to) is a different word from Fell. The synonyms below are for fall (to), not for fell.

  1. to take the first step in (a process or course of action)

    "after some refreshments, she fell to working with renewed vigor"

    similar: begin, commence, embark (on or upon), enter (into or upon), get off, kick off, launch, lead off, open, start, strike (into), get going, get to, set about
    related: create, generate, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, invent, originate, adopt, embrace, take on, take up, establish, father, found, institute, organize, pioneer, set up, spawn, get around (to), get down (to), get round (to)
    opposite: conclude, end, finish, terminate
    near: cease, desist, discontinue, halt, knock off, lay off, quit, stop, close, complete, abandon, forsake, leave, abolish, demolish, destroy, exterminate, extinguish, phase out

Related Entry: Fell (in) (verb)

Fell (in) is a different word from Fell. The synonyms below are for fell (in), not for fell.

  1. as in declined (in), tapered off

    similar: abated, declined (in), diminished (in), dipped, dwindled, lessened, tapered, tapered off, decreased (in), lost
    opposite: built up, gained, gathered, grew (in), picked up, doubled (in), tripled (in), accrued, accumulated, amassed

Related Entry: Fell down (verb)

Fell down is a different word from Fell. The synonyms below are for fell down, not for fell.

  1. as in went under

    similar: went under, choked, cracked up, miscarried, misfired, imploded, self-destructed, crashed, cratered, crumbled, flamed out, declined, sank, skidded, slipped, slumped, waned, floundered, struggled, languished, bombed, collapsed, failed, flopped, flunked, folded, foundered, missed, struck out, washed out
    opposite: came off, clicked, delivered, panned out, succeeded, went, went over, worked out, caught on, flourished, prospered, thrived

Related Entry: Fell short (of) (verb)

Fell short (of) is a different word from Fell. The synonyms below are for fell short (of), not for fell.

  1. as in missed

    similar: missed, failed (at), lost
    opposite: achieved, attained, bagged, chalked up, clocked (up) (chiefly British), gained, hit, logged, made, notched (up), racked up, rang up, scored, won, acquired, captured, carried, drew, garnered, got, landed, obtained, procured, realized, secured, amounted (to), approached, equaled, matched, measured up (to), met, rivaled, tied, touched

Related Entry: Fell away (verb)

Fell away is a different word from Fell. The synonyms below are for fell away, not for fell.

  1. to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually

    "as the years went by, the public's interest in the murder case fell away"

    similar: abated, declined, decreased, de-escalated, died (away or down or out), diminished, drained (away), dropped (off), dwindled, eased, ebbed, fell, lessened, let up, lowered, moderated, palled, phased down, ratcheted (down), receded, relented, remitted, shrank, subsided, tapered, tapered off, waned
    related: compressed, condensed, constricted, contracted, evaporated, faded (away), frittered (away), gave out, melted (away), petered (out), tailed (off), vanished, slackened, slowed (down), alleviated, relaxed, flagged, sank, weakened, caved (in), collapsed, deflated
    opposite: accumulated, ballooned, built, burgeoned, enlarged, escalated, expanded, grew, increased, intensified, mounted, mushroomed, picked up, rose, snowballed, soared, swelled, waxed
    near: appeared, emerged, showed up, blew up, distended, elongated, lengthened

Related Entry: Fell back (verb)

Fell back is a different word from Fell. The synonyms below are for fell back, not for fell.

  1. to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)

    "resistance from native forces was greater than expected, and the invading army was forced to fall back"

    similar: backed away, dropped back, pulled out, receded, retired, retreated, withdrew, gave ground, gave way, lost ground
    related: fled, flew, flinched, recoiled, shrank, chickened (out), bowed out, backed down, backpedaled, backtracked, climbed down, detached, disengaged, disentangled, pulled away, abandoned, departed, evacuated, left, quit, vacated, went
    opposite: advanced
    near: bearded, braved, brazened, breasted, confronted, dared, defied, faced, outbraved

Related Entry: Fell off (verb)

Fell off is a different word from Fell. The synonyms below are for fell off, not for fell.

  1. to turn away from a straight line or course

    "the coastline falls off toward the north after you round the bay"

    similar: arced, arched, bent, bowed, crooked, curved, hooked, rounded, swept, swerved, trended, wheeled
    related: circled, coiled, curled, curlicued, looped, spiraled, turned, twisted, wound, deviated, veered
    opposite: straightened

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Fell

The most common words with a similar meaning to Fell:

Slang: croak
Chiefly British: do for
bowl (down or over), down, drop, floor, knock down, knock over, level, mow (down), prostrate, chop (down), cut (down), hew, mow, carry off, claim, destroy, dispatch, do in, kill, slay, take, do away with, make away with, baleful, deadly, deathly, fatal, killer, lethal, mortal, murderous, pestilent, terminal, vital, ferocious, fierce, grim, savage, vicious

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Fell

Words with the opposite meaning of Fell:

animate, healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal, wholesome, gentle, mild, unaggressive

Related Words for Fell

kayo, knock out, KO, overthrow, throw down, topple, bang, bash, belt, bludgeon, clobber, hammer, hit, jab, paste, poke, pound, punch, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, swat, swipe, thump, thwack, wallop

Near Antonyms of Fell

raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive, nurture, beneficial, restorative, salubrious, salutary, alleviative, corrective, curative, remedial, tonic, advantageous, useful, nonpoisonous, nontoxic, safe, amicable, companionable, comradely, congenial, cordial, friendly, genial, hearty, warm, warmhearted

Word Forms of Fell

Inflections: felled, felling, fells

Derived words: fellable (adjective), feller (noun), fellness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Fell

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German fel skin, Latin pellis

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Fell

in/at one fell swoop, clear-felling

Frequently Asked Questions about Fell

What does "Fell" mean?

"Fell" means skin, hide, pelt. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: skin, hide, pelt. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Fell"?

Other words for "Fell" include bowl (down or over), down, drop, floor, knock down, knock over, level and mow (down). The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Fell" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Fell"?

There are 183 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Fell". Common alternatives include bowl (down or over), down, drop, floor, knock down, knock over, level, mow (down), prostrate and chop (down).

What is the opposite of "Fell"?

Antonyms of "Fell" include animate, healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal, wholesome, gentle and mild. Near antonyms include raise, restore, resurrect and resuscitate.

How do you use "Fell" in a sentence?

Examples of "Fell" in a sentence: "a champion boxer who was shockingly felled in the first round"; "the settlers began the daunting task of felling the mighty trees that blanketed the island"; "the quest for a cure for malaria, the disease that felled so many during the digging of the Panama Canal".

Is "Fell" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Fell" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Fell"?

"Fell" is pronounced /ˈfel/.

What is the origin of the word "Fell"?

"Fell" comes from Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German fel skin, Latin pellis. First known use: before 12th century.