What does plummet mean?
Word: Plummet
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Plummet means to fall very fast and suddenly, straight down. Prices, numbers and temperatures can plummet too.
Synonyms: plunge, drop, tumble
Word origin: Comes from Old French plommet, 'a small lead weight', from plomb 'lead', from Latin plumbum.
How do you spell plummet?
Syllables: plum - met
Tricky part: The m is doubled. Because the word is said quickly, many students write plumet with a single m.
Watch out for: plumet, plumbet
Memory tip: A ripe plum dropping from a tree plummets to the ground. Write plum, then add a second m before you finish.
Plummet in a sentence
Example 1: The temperature in the mountains can plummet after sunset, so pack a warm sweater.
Example 2: We watched the eagle fold its wings and plummet towards the river.
Example 3: Our team's score did not plummet after the captain left; the others kept playing well.
Fun Fact
A plummet was first a noun: the lead weight on a builder's string, used to check that a wall stood straight. The same Latin word for lead, plumbum, gives lead its chemical symbol, Pb.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
plumm___
a) ett
b) at
c) it
d) et
Show answer
d) et. The ending is et, the same as in helmet and bucket.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. plummet 2. scarce 3. conceal a. reveal b. soar c. plentiful
a) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. These are opposites: to plummet is the reverse of to soar, scarce of plentiful, and conceal of reveal.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
tmuelpm 1234567
a) 6235147
b) 6531742
c) 6532741
d) 6523741
Show answer
c) 6532741. Reading the letters in that order gives p-l-u-m-m-e-t.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
After the bumper harvest, onion prices began to ___ in the local market.
a) linger
b) hover
c) wander
d) plummet
Show answer
d) plummet. A big harvest means plenty of onions, so prices fall fast; only plummet describes that.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What would you expect to plummet?
a) smoke curling up from a lamp
b) a kite rising on a windy day
c) a stone dropped from a bridge
d) a balloon let go at a fair
Show answer
c) a stone dropped from a bridge
2. If the number of visitors to a museum plummets, the museum becomes ___.
a) twice as big as before
b) open all night long
c) far busier than before
d) much quieter than usual
Show answer
d) much quieter than usual
