fall into

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

fall into (third-person singular simple present falls into, present participle falling into, simple past fell into, past participle fallen into)

1. (transitive, literally) To go into something by falling.

   The cat might fall into the pool if you're not careful.

2. (transitive) To visit (a place or a person).

   I hope to see her whenever I next fall into the area.

3. To enter a condition or state, especially a negative one.

   After it closed, the old mall fell into disrepair.

   Our senator fell into disrepute because of the banking scandal.

   Since her husband died, the patient has fallen into a deep depression.

4. (idiomatic, transitive) To enter something (especially a profession) without having planned it.

   Most of us didn't plan to be designers; we just fell into the job.

5. (idiomatic, transitive) To be classified as; to fall under.

   Trees fall into two main categories: deciduous and evergreen.

See also

• fall into oneself