fall flat on one's face

verb

To fall headlong forwards, notionally hitting one's face on the ground.

“I tripped over my shoelace and fell flat on my face.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbfall flat on one's face (third-person singular simple present falls flat on one's face, present participle falling flat on one's face, simple past fell flat on one's face, past participle fallen flat on one's face)

present singular third person falls flat on one's face · participle present falling flat on one's face · past fell flat on one's face · participle past fallen flat on one's face

  1. literallyTo fall headlong forwards, notionally hitting one's face on the ground.

    I tripped over my shoelace and fell flat on my face.

    1 more example

    Tripping over a fallen limb, I fall flat on my face, confirming that tropical soils have all the organic cushion of macadam.

    1990 August, Boyd Gibbons, “Missouri's Garden of Consequence”, in National Geographic, volume 178, number 2, page 130
  2. figurativelyTo fail miserably, especially in an obvious or embarrassing way.

    He tried to start his own business but fell flat on his face.

Translations

Hungarian pofára esik
  • pofára esikTranslations
Polish ponosić druzgocącą klęskę, ponieść druzgocącą klęskę
  • ponosić druzgocącą klęskęTranslations
  • ponieść druzgocącą klęskęTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

fall flat on one's face. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20flat%20on%20one's%20face

MLA

“fall flat on one's face.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20flat%20on%20one's%20face. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fall flat on one's face,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20flat%20on%20one's%20face.

Source: fall flat on one's face on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.