waterfall

wa·ter·fall | \ ˈwȯ-tər-ˌfȯl

How to pronounce waterfall (audio)

, ˈwä- \

Definition of waterfall

1a : 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 Example Sentences Learn More about waterfall

Keep scrolling for more

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 Sahalie Falls is a 78-foot waterfall nestled into the trees, just downriver from Umbrella Falls. — oregonlive, "See a Mount Hood waterfall, hike across ski runs on the Umbrella Falls hike," 4 July 2020 Print out a map from the website to lead you to the waterfall, a frog pond, the footbridge, a forest trail and a native grass meadow. — Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, "Do you miss travel? Here are 5 single-day outdoor excursions within an hour of Louisville," 3 July 2020 Cave trail, just a mile out and back, but with spectacular scenery, particularly in the spring when a 50-foot waterfall forms atop the rock formation. — Susan Glaser, cleveland, "Exploring Salt Fork State Park: boating, fishing, hiking and Bigfoot, two hours from Cleveland," 7 June 2020 Haines noted that a fountain in the middle of the pond, and waterfall features that help oxygenate the water, were not running this spring and early summer. — Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, "20 dead Canada geese pulled out of pond in Madison Heights; botulism suspected," 6 July 2020 Signs point the way to Umbrella Falls, a small but lovely waterfall that cascades down a rocky slope on the upper reaches of the East Fork Hood River. — oregonlive, "See a Mount Hood waterfall, hike across ski runs on the Umbrella Falls hike," 4 July 2020 After the war, the brothers allegedly traveled through the wilderness from Connecticut to New York’s Catskills Mountains and settled at a gorgeous waterfall (now called Stratton Falls). — Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, "If You Love 'Hamilton,' Stay in This Revolutionary War-themed Room in Upstate New York," 3 July 2020 Look for a stone mini waterfall behind the bridge on top of the Turtle Creek Dam and a similar one closer to Armstrong Parkway. — Lisa Salinas, Dallas News, "Here are 7 great places to enjoy nature in D-FW," 24 June 2020 But after reopening, the Pasadena-area trails, which feature a waterfall, were run overrun by hikers who failed to practice social distancing. — Jake Sheridan, Los Angeles Times, "Eaton Canyon will reopen Saturday, but you need reservations," 5 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'waterfall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about waterfall

Dictionary Entries near waterfall

water equivalent

Statistics for waterfall

Last Updated

29 Jul 2020

Cite this Entry

“Waterfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waterfall. Accessed 3 Aug. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

risible

Listen to the pronunciation of risible

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

July 2020 Words of the Day Quiz

Which is a synonym of mien?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.