What does plummeted mean?
“Plummeted” is the past tense and past participle of “plunge,” used especially when something falls, decreases, or declines suddenly and sharply. It may describe a literal downward movement, as when a person or object drops rapidly, or a figurative collapse in prices, temperatures, confidence, or popularity. The word conveys speed, force, and dramatic change rather than a gradual descent. “Revenue plummeted” suggests a severe and often unexpected fall, while “the path plummeted” can describe terrain descending sharply. It is widely understood in British and American English and commonly appears in news reporting and formal descriptions of significant losses. Although it can apply to modest changes in informal speech, that use may overstate their importance, so writers often reserve it for conspicuously sudden or serious declines.
verbTo fall or drop rapidly and steeply. It can also mean to decrease or decline suddenly and sharply.
- To fall or descend rapidly and steeply.
- To decrease or decline suddenly and sharply.
"Temperatures plummeted overnight, transforming the roads into a sheet of ice."
"The aircraft plummeted toward the mountains as the engine lost power."
"Public confidence plummeted after the company released misleading financial figures."
From one moment to the next, a market can lose billions in value as prices plummet.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does plummeted come from?
“Plummet” comes through Middle English from the Anglo-French “plomet,” a lead weight used to measure depth, ultimately derived from Latin “plumbum,” meaning lead. “Plunge” belongs to the same Latin root through Old French “plunger.” The related English word “plumb” preserves the original sense of a lead weight and, by extension, exact vertical alignment or measurement. “Plummeted” developed from the verb “plummet,” which originally referred to dropping or falling steeply.
Related word forms
How plummeted is actually used
The word is strongly associated with sudden, dramatic movement or decline. It is common in journalism, finance, and descriptions of physical falls, but it may sound excessively dramatic in casual conversation.
Easily confused with plummeted
“Plumb” means to measure depth or to be exactly vertical, whereas “plummeted” means to fall rapidly.