Cascade
noun / verb /kæˈskeɪd/ — A waterfall; to fall or flow in abundance
Definition
A waterfall, especially part of a larger one — or the act of falling or flowing in large quantities in stages. Also used figuratively: a cascade of events, decisions, consequences.
Beyond the definition
The beautiful version of the fall. A cascade is water choosing its own pace — not the violence of a torrent, but the graceful inevitability of descent.
Origin & history
From French 'cascade', from Italian 'cascata' — from 'cascare' (to fall), from Latin 'casicare'. The word sounds like what it describes.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The waterfall broke into a dozen cascades over the dark rock face.
A cascade of decisions — each one seeming reasonable — had led them somewhere none of them had intended.
Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in a way that cameras loved.
Synonyms
Antonyms
trickle, stillness
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Falling Water in Stages
A massive waterfall crashes into a deep, swirling river in a gorge, with an adult standing on a rock ledge looking up.
A cascade is a waterfall, especially one falling in stages. The sublime scale of the falling water in the gorge provides a literal cascade; its vertical descent and the way it interacts with the river below serve as a visual analogy for a cascading sequence of events or decisions, emphasizing the stage-like fall.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration