cliff

¹ American  

[klif] / klɪf /

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.

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Cliff ² American  

[klif] / klɪf /

noun

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

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cliff British  

/ klɪf /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• clifflike adjective
• cliffy adjective

Etymology

Origin of cliff

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

Explanation

A cliff is a steep and often sheer rock face. If you stand on the edge of a cliff and peer over, you'll be able to see the waves crashing on the rocks below. But if you don't watch your step, you could fall right off that cliff. So many action movies feature a scene in which a car chase leads to a car full of villains plunging spectacularly off a steep rock wall, or cliff. As the car hurtles over the edge of the cliff and smashes onto the rocks below, it invariably explodes in a shower of flames and a cloud of smoke.

Example Sentences

Do not shelter under a tree or use a cliff or rocky overhang, the weather service warns.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

The Maritime and Coast Guard agency also issued advice, including to stay well back from cliff edges and avoid walking near the base of cliffs.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

If you look at the trend line, the U.S. one has gone off a cliff faster than those other four.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

“You are absolutely right…The last thing you needed was to be a human sail on a cliff edge.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Later in the day I’d go down the side of the cliff for eggs again.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Related Words

• bluff
• crag
• precipice
• wall