cliff

¹

[ klif ]

noun

1. a high steep face of a rock.

   Synonyms: crag, ledge, promontory, bluff

2. a critical point or situation beyond which something bad or undesirable may occur:

   The committee is right up to the cliff with no deal in sight.

Cliff

²

[ klif ]

noun

1. a male given name, form of Clifford or Clifton.

cliff

/ klɪf /

noun

1. a steep high rock face, esp one that runs along the seashore and has the strata exposed

Derived Forms

• ˈcliffy, adjective

Other Words From

• clifflike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cliff¹

before 900; Middle English clif, Old English, cognate with Dutch, Low German, Old Norse klif

Word History and Origins

Origin of cliff¹

Old English clif; related to Old Norse kleif, Middle Low German klēf, Dutch klif; see cleave ²

Example Sentences

On one side, the road falls off into a steep cliff.

From Los Angeles Times

“It was a complete miracle. I don’t know how I made it through that without falling off the cliff or burning alive.”

From Los Angeles Times

If we go over this cliff there's no way back.

From Salon

A house has been left teetering close to the edge of a crumbling cliff following significant rockfall along the Jurassic Coast.

From BBC

"Cliff falls are a natural and unpredictable occurrence along the East Devon coast."

From BBC

Related Words

• bluff
• crag
• precipice
• wall