fall on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb (
see also fall)
1. if a duty or job falls on someone, they are responsible for doing it:
The responsibility usually falls on the mother.2. literary to eagerly start eating or using something:
She fell on the food as if she hadn’t eaten for days.3. literary to suddenly attack or get hold of someone:
Some of the older boys fell on him and broke his glasses.4. sb’s eyes/gaze/glance fall(s) on something if your eyes etc fall on something, you notice it:
His eyes fell on her bag. ‘Are you going somewhere?’5. fall on hard/bad times to experience difficulties and problems in your life such as not having enough money:
The aim is to raise money for workers who have fallen on hard times.6. fall on your sword to leave your job because your organization has done something wrong, and you are taking responsibility for it:
It was clear that the Prime Minister wanted her to fall on her sword. ⇒
fall on deaf ears at
deaf(5)
[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲