waterfall

noun

wa·​ter·​fall ˈwȯ-tər-ˌfȯl 

ˈwä-

1

a

: a perpendicular or very steep descent of the water of a stream

b

: an artificial waterfall (as in a hotel lobby or a nightclub)

2

: something resembling a waterfall

Synonyms

• cascade
• cataract
• fall(s)

Examples of waterfall in a Sentence

I used to like to throw sticks in the stream and watch them go over the waterfall.

Recent Examples on the Web

In web scraping, the waterfall approach puts an industry-specific spin on the same metaphor. —Julius Černiauskas, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025

The scenic gorge is home to four distinct cascades and is a great way to begin your waterfall road trip. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore protects some of the wildest coastline in America, with miles of sandstone cliffs dropping to the water, isolated beaches, sand dunes, even waterfalls. —Graham Averill, Outside Online, 30 May 2025

There’s more to the park than just its namesake waterfall, though. —Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 29 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for waterfall

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• catarrhal
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol

Kids Definition

waterfall

noun

wa·​ter·​fall ˈwȯt-ər-ˌfȯl 

ˈwät-

: a fall of water usually from a great height