plummet

1 of 2

verb

plum·​met ˈplə-mət 

plummeted; plummeting; plummets

intransitive verb

1

: to fall perpendicularly

birds plummeted down

2

: to drop sharply and abruptly

prices plummeted

plummet

2 of 2

noun

1

: plumb

also : plumb line

2

: an abrupt drop : an instance of plummeting

a sharp plummet in prices

If in the final week of the season, the Mets were trying to stop a plummet off a cliff, they are now attempting to climb out of a dark, deep abyss …

—Judy Battista

Synonyms of plummet

Verb

• fall
• plunge
• decline
• tumble
• dip
• drop

Examples of plummet in a Sentence

Verb

The acrobat plummeted into the net.

The car plummeted to the bottom of the canyon.

The satellite plummeted into the ocean.

Stock prices plummeted 40 percent during the scandal.

The TV show has plummeted in the ratings.

Temperatures are expected to plummet this weekend.

The town's population plummets when the students leave for the summer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Whenever sentiment plummeted after the pandemic — such as 2022 when inflation was running at a 40-year high or 2023 during a standoff in Congress over the debt ceiling — Americans continued to open their wallets. —Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026

Idaho State Police trooper numbers have plummeted in recent years, leaving about a third of its patrol positions vacant. —Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026

Noun

How does the forward handle his plummet down the team’s list of priorities? —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026

As the value of a token plummets, the value of what data centers can produce also falls. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Verb

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for plummet

• summit

Kids Definition

plummet

1 of 2 noun

plum·​met ˈpləm-ət 

1

: plumb entry 1

2

: plumb line

plummet

2 of 2 verb

: to fall straight down : plunge