Plummet means to fall or drop suddenly and very quickly, often from a great height or to a much lower level. It’s also used for numbers or prices that decrease sharply.
From Middle English *plommet* meaning “lead weight,” a diminutive of *plumb* (lead), used on a line to measure depth. The verb sense developed from the image of a heavy weight dropping straight down.
Financial news loves this word: stocks don’t just go down, they *plummet*. The original image is a chunk of lead shooting straight to the bottom—so it always carries a feeling of speed and helplessness.
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