fell

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈfel 

1

: skin, hide, pelt

2

: a thin tough membrane covering a carcass directly under the hide

fell

2 of 5

verb

felled; felling; fells

transitive verb

1

a

: to cut, knock, or bring down

fell a tree

b

: kill

Her father was felled by a heart attack.

2

: to sew (a seam) by folding one raw edge under the other and sewing flat on the wrong side

fellable

ˈfe-lə-bəl 

adjective

feller noun

fell

3 of 5

past tense of fall

fell

4 of 5

adjective

1

a

: fierce, cruel, terrible

b

: sinister, malevolent

a fell purpose

c

: very destructive : deadly

a fell disease

2

Scotland : sharp, pungent

fellness noun

fell

5 of 5

noun

dialectal British

: a high barren field or moor

Synonyms

Verb

• bowl (down or over)
• down
• drop
• floor
• knock down
• knock over
• level
• mow (down)
• prostrate

Adjective

• baleful
• deadly
• deathly
• fatal
• killer
• lethal
• mortal
• murderous
• pestilent
• terminal
• vital

Examples of fell in a Sentence

Verb

using an ax to fell a tree

He's strong enough to fell an ox.

Adjective

planning for the distribution of resources in case of some fell event

war crimes committed by a fell and barbarous enemy

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The majority of the trees that were felled were ficuses. —Vanessa Romo, NPR, 30 Apr. 2025

An animal sanctuary in Washington reported losing 20 big cats including cougars and bobcats in late 2024 from the virus, while a harbor seal and Chilean flamingo were felled at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo in January. —Karen Kucher, Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2025

Adjective

Regardless of what happens in Washington, cutting through permitting and interconnection red tape to enable rapid and cost-effective solar deployment is a no-regrets move that will help protect the environment, support local businesses, and lower household energy bills in one fell swoop. —Noah Ginsburg, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025

And to sweeten the deal, both properties are brimming with all sorts of native mammals, birds and reptiles, providing plenty of opportunities for relaxation and ecotourism all in one fell swoop. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

Noun

The Peaks Hikers swarm the Lake District in the mass millions every year for its jaw-dropping 214 peaks (otherwise known as fells) and dramatic landscapes. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

Sixty years later, the 214 fells featured in the pictorial guides are now known as the Wainwrights, and walkers collect them like Coloradans collect fourteeners. —Steven Potter, Outside Online, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German fel skin, Latin pellis

Verb

Middle English, from Old English fellan; akin to Old English feallan to fall — more at fall

Adjective

Middle English fel, from Anglo-French — more at felon

Noun

Middle English, from Old Norse fell, fjall mountain; akin to Old High German felis rock

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fell

• fell into the habit
• fell silent
• in/at one fell swoop

Rhymes for fell

• bel
• belle
• cel
• cell
• dell
• dwell
• el
• ell
• fel
• gel
• gell
• jell

Kids Definition

fell

1 of 3 verb

ˈfel 

1

a

: to cut, beat, or knock down

fell trees

b

: kill entry 1 sense 1

2

: to sew (a seam) by folding one edge under the other

fell

2 of 3

past of fall entry 1

fell

3 of 3 adjective

: fierce sense 1, cruel

also : deadly entry 1 sense 1, deadly entry 1 sense 2a

Etymology

Verb

Old English fellan "to knock down"

Adjective

Middle English fel "fierce, terrible," from early French fel (same meaning), from fel, felon "villain, evildoer" — related to felon