felled; felling; fells
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
feller
noun
fell
3 of 5past tense of fall
1
fellness
noun
dialectal British
: a high barren field or moor
Synonyms
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
Ew Staff, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024
He was felled by a lightning quick Jofra Archer bouncer that smashed into the grille, but still scored a match-saving 59.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 6 Jan. 2025
Mitchell took care of all of that in one fell swoop.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Sixty years later, the 214 fells featured in the pictorial guides are now known as the Wainwrights, and walkers collect them like Coloradans collect fourteeners.
—Steven Potter, Outside Online, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fell 
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Verb
Minx’s reprieve was short-lived with season 2 being felled by limited press opportunities during the 2023 strikes — and sadly, third chances aren’t really a thing.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024
He was felled by a lightning quick Jofra Archer bouncer that smashed into the grille, but still scored a match-saving 59.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Some see an opportunity to take care of all dimensions of the threat—both Tehran’s nuclear capabilities and its malign regional activities—in one fell swoop.
—Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 6 Jan. 2025
Mitchell took care of all of that in one fell swoop.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
The Peaks Hikers swarm the Lake District in the mass millions every year for its jaw-dropping 214 peaks (otherwise known as fells) and dramatic landscapes.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Sixty years later, the 214 fells featured in the pictorial guides are now known as the Wainwrights, and walkers collect them like Coloradans collect fourteeners.
—Steven Potter, Outside Online, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fell
Dictionary Entries Near fell
Cite this Entry
“Fell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fell. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fell
1 of 3 verb1
a
: to cut, beat, or knock down
fell trees
2
: to sew (a seam) by folding one edge under the other
fell
2 of 3past of fall entry 1
fell
3 of 3 adjectiveEtymology
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
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