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 duo are the biggest heads to roll yet in a sweeping purge of China’s defense establishment since last summer, which has felled more than a dozen senior generals and executives from the military-industrial complex. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 1 July 2024

The Conservatives were already on the defensive after jettisoning two prime ministers without an election in quick succession in 2022: first Boris Johnson, felled by scandals, then Liz Truss, who rocked the economy with drastic tax-slashing plans and lasted just seven weeks in office. —Jill Lawless, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 June 2024

The Key Bridge was ultimately felled by a 100,000-ton cargo ship named the Dali that lost power and accidentally plowed into one of the bridge’s vital support piers, killing six construction workers and eliminating the span. —Hayes Gardner, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2024

That was until the end of the first period of extra-time when his teammate Diogo Jota was felled in the Slovenia box and a penalty was awarded. —Ben Morse, CNN, 1 July 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

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