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

• down
• drop
• hit
• floor

Adjective

• lethal
• deadly
• fatal
• infectious

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

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

On the slopes above these pastures are groves of huge, mossy trees, and between the groves, sturdy stone walls climb straight up the fells and carve the mountainsides into great vertical paddocks. —Steven Potter, Outside Online, 19 Nov. 2024

Verb

The trees had already been felled and piled by the landowner; the log piles were initially slated to be burned to reduce the fire hazard. —Syris Valentine, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2025

Grainier‘s an itinerant lumber man who worked the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century, felling timber and building railroads. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025

Adjective

The former allows voters to honor four hip-hop stars in one fell swoop, but the latter might be a more attractive selection for those who prefer more heady rap tracks. —Kyle Denis, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025

For something more multifunctional, try this Bissell wet-dry vacuum that sucks up debris and washes floors in one fell swoop. —Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025

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