fallen

B1 · Intermediate

adj. lying on the ground after dropping or being cut down.

adj. having dropped to the ground by gravity or force; often used of natural objects like trees or leaves.

“We had to climb over a fallen tree to stay on the forest path.”

“The hikers navigated around several fallen branches that had been brought down by the previous night's gale.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Formal · Literary

adj. killed while fighting in a war.

adj. killed in a military conflict; used as a respectful way to refer to dead soldiers.

“The town built a monument to remember the fallen soldiers.”

“Every November, the community gathers at the cenotaph to pay their respects to the fallen heroes of the Great War.”

C1 · Advanced Religion Literary · Formal

adj. having lost a high position, respect, or moral goodness.

adj. having experienced a loss of status, reputation, or religious grace.

“The book tells the story of a fallen leader trying to regain his power.”

“The poem explores the tragic perspective of a fallen angel cast out from paradise for his pride.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun Formal

n. people who have died in a war, usually called 'the fallen'.

n. a collective plural noun referring to those killed in a specific battle or war.

“The nation stopped for two minutes of silence to honour the fallen.”

“The names of the fallen were inscribed in alphabetical order upon the marble walls of the memorial hall.”