freefall
Gravity's unchecked pull
Freefall is the state of falling under gravity alone, without resistance or support.
Skydivers experience freefall before opening their parachutes.
In physics, even orbiting astronauts are technically in freefall—falling continuously around the Earth.
The word extends to any rapid, uncontrolled decline: The stock market went into freefall.
Also spelled free fall or free-fall.
Rapid downward descent
- tumbleUncontrolled rolling descent
- dropFall or release
- plungeSudden steep descent
- diveHeadfirst water entry
spiral · nosedive · hurtle · careen · pitch · spin · out of control · flail
Extremely weak gravitational force
- zero-gInformal term for weightlessness
- floatBuoyant object or vehicle
- driftGradual movement, no direction
- spacewalkVenturing outside a spacecraft
astronaut · orbit · vomit comet · suborbital · levitate · weightless · suspension · buoyancy
Emergency response hormone
- rushQuick sudden movement
- exhilarationIntense joyful excitement
- bungeeElastic cord with hooks
- leapSudden springing movement
plummet · g-force · stunt · heart-pounding · breathtaking · daredevil · extreme sport · wingsuit
Sudden violent impact
- collapseSudden structural failure
- plungeSudden steep descent
- downturnEconomic decline period
- recessionProlonged economic decline
bankruptcy · market crash · currency collapse · meltdown · spiral · nosedive · decline · slump
Mutual mass attraction
- velocityDirected rate of motion
- accelerationRate velocity changes
- terminal velocityMaximum speed during freefall
- momentumProduct of mass, velocity
g-force · drag · mass · projectile · kinetic energy · potential energy · air resistance · parabolic
Drag-creating descent device
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
- jumpsuitOne-piece body garment
- altimeterInstrument measuring elevation
- terminal velocityMaximum speed during freefall
skydiver · dropzone · canopy · rigging · tandem · jumpmaster · exit point · aircraft
plummet
Rapid downward descent
dive · spiral · nosedive · hurtle · careen · pitch · spin · out of control · flail · windmill
microgravity
Extremely weak gravitational force
- zero-gInformal term for weightlessness
- floatBuoyant object or vehicle
- driftGradual movement, no direction
spacewalk · astronaut · orbit · vomit comet · suborbital · levitate · weightless · suspension · buoyancy · neutral buoyancy
adrenaline
Emergency response hormone
- rushQuick sudden movement
- exhilarationIntense joyful excitement
- bungeeElastic cord with hooks
leap · plummet · g-force · stunt · heart-pounding · breathtaking · daredevil · extreme sport · wingsuit · death-defying
crash
Sudden violent impact
recession · bankruptcy · market crash · currency collapse · meltdown · spiral · nosedive · decline · slump · depreciation
gravity
Mutual mass attraction
- velocityDirected rate of motion
- accelerationRate velocity changes
- terminal velocityMaximum speed during freefall
momentum · g-force · drag · mass · projectile · kinetic energy · potential energy · air resistance · parabolic · vector
parachute
Drag-creating descent device
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
- jumpsuitOne-piece body garment
- altimeterInstrument measuring elevation
terminal velocity · skydiver · dropzone · canopy · rigging · tandem · jumpmaster · exit point · aircraft · HALO
- gravitygravity, graviton, gravity well, gravitational pull, gravity wave
- declinesdrop, decline, downtrend, downturn, downslide
- Stuntsstunt, stuntman, stunt double, daredevil, stunt performer
- Airborne Forcesparatrooper, airborne, parachute drop, drop zone, static line
- Anti-Gravityzero-g, weightlessness, levitation, floating, hover
- Market Crashescrash, market collapse, collapse, Black Monday, Black Tuesday
freefallcontrolled descent
Intentional, regulated falling
powered flight · gliding · hovering · soaring · cruising