cliff

noun

ˈklif 

: a very steep, vertical, or overhanging face of rock, earth, or ice : precipice

cliffy

ˈkli-fē 

adjective

Synonyms

• barranca
• barranco
• bluff
• crag
• escarpment
• palisade
• precipice
• scar
• scarp

Examples of cliff in a Sentence

Standing at the edge of the cliff, we watched the waves crash on the shore far below.

rock climbers scaling steep cliffs

Recent Examples on the Web

But the visual variety is staggering, with an island green, peninsula holes, huge elevation changes, and exposed rock and water everywhere—it is built into and on top of cliffs, after all. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

One of the most underrated shutdown defensemen in the league during his prime, Brodie’s play fell off a cliff during his final year with the Maple Leafs. —Harman Dayal, New York Times, 19 June 2025

The brothers faced off in the Season 1 finale, with Jun-ho taking a bullet and falling off a cliff… but his quest to expose the games didn’t end there. —Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 18 June 2025

Listen to this article 2 min A tourist is lucky to be alive after plunging nearly 30 feet off a cliff and toward an erupting volcano while visiting a popular Hawaiian hot spot last week. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English clif, from Old English; akin to Old High German klep cliff, Old Norse klif

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cliff

• cliff dweller
• cliff-hanger
• cliff swallow

Rhymes for cliff

• biff
• diff
• glyph
• griff
• if
• riff
• schiff
• skiff
• sniff
• stiff
• tiff
• whiff

Kids Definition

cliff

noun

ˈklif 

: a high steep surface of rock, earth, or ice