fall on stony ground

verb

Of words, an idea, etc.: to go unheeded.

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Meanings

verbfall on stony ground (third-person singular simple present falls on stony ground, present participle falling on stony ground, simple past fell on stony ground, past participle fallen on stony ground)

present singular third person falls on stony ground · participle present falling on stony ground · past fell on stony ground · participle past fallen on stony ground

  1. Of words, an idea, etc.: to go unheeded.

Origin

Referring to the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) in the Bible.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

fall on stony ground. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20on%20stony%20ground

MLA

“fall on stony ground.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20on%20stony%20ground. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fall on stony ground,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fall%20on%20stony%20ground.

Source: fall on stony ground on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.