cliff

noun

ˈklif 

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

cliffy

ˈkli-fē 

adjective

Synonyms of cliff

• escarpment
• palisade
• crag
• bluff

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

The designers came up with an infrastructure that started with eight elevators to make everything accessible, from the private beach at the base of the cliff to the terrace at the top of the hotel. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Police said Childers continued to flee and drove the vehicle off a cliff. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026

When Jonathan Coop was a child growing up in northern New Mexico, the Jemez Mountains were a playground of towering volcanic cliffs and expansive conifer forests. — Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2026

The route itself runs from the dramatic red cliffs of the Massif de l’Estérel, through Saint-Raphaël towards Cannes and Nice, then cuts into the mountainside before arriving at Monaco-Monte-Carlo station. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2026

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