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

Example Sentences

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

Pessimists have overused the image of Wile E. Coyote running off a cliff and not falling until after doing a double-take.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

But does this carry any meaning for any real people, and will it be enough to stop us from pushing ourselves off the cliff?

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

“My strategy,” he once told an interviewer, “has always been to take my cause of the moment to the edge of the cliff and be prepared to go over the cliff if necessary.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

There was a black opening in the cliff just above the hole.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Related Words

• bluff
• crag
• precipice
• wall