plummet

¹plum·met

noun \ˈplə-mət\

Definition of PLUMMET

: plumb; also : plumb line

Origin of PLUMMET

Middle English plomet, from Anglo-French plumet, plomet, from plum lead, lead weight — more at plumb

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

Rhymes with PLUMMET

summit

²plummet

intransitive verb

Definition of PLUMMET

1

: to fall perpendicularly <birds plummeted down>

2

: to drop sharply and abruptly <prices plummeted>

Examples of PLUMMET

1. The acrobat plummeted into the net.
2. The car plummeted to the bottom of the canyon.
3. The satellite plummeted into the ocean.
4. Stock prices plummeted 40 percent during the scandal.
5. The TV show has plummeted in the ratings.
6. Temperatures are expected to plummet this weekend.
7. The town's population plummets when the students leave for the summer.

First Known Use of PLUMMET

1937

Related to PLUMMET

Synonyms

crash, crater, decline, descend, dip, dive, fall, lower, nose-dive, drop, plunge, sink, skid, tumble

Antonyms

arise, ascend, lift, mount, rise, soar, spike, up

Related Words

abate, decrease, de-escalate, die (down), diminish, droop, dwindle, ebb, lessen, let up, moderate, subside, taper off, wane; recede, retreat

Near Antonyms

accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon (also bourgeon), enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mushroom, pick up, snowball, swell, wax

Rhymes with PLUMMET

summit