ล้ม

Explanation

The central image is of something losing the support or balance that allowed it to remain standing. Its basic use describes a person falling or an upright object toppling. With an object, it can also mean causing something to fall, such as felling a tree. This physical image extends to abstract situations. A business can ล้ม when it collapses, while someone can ล้ม a government or project by bringing it down. Because the verb can be either intransitive or transitive, pay attention to the subject and to whether an object follows it. It also appears in important fixed words such as ล้มเหลว “fail,” ล้มเลิก “abandon or call off,” and ล้มละลาย “go bankrupt.”

Usage

In everyday conversation, it is commonly used when someone falls or when an upright object such as a tree or piece of furniture topples over. In news and business contexts, it can describe a company collapsing, a government being overthrown, or a project being scuttled. In contexts involving large animals, it may also mean that an animal dies or that livestock is slaughtered.

Caution

Use ตก for falling from a higher place. ล้ม normally describes losing an upright position and falling over. For the general meaning “fail,” use ล้มเหลว rather than ล้ม alone. Also, do not use ล้ม to mean that a person has died; its “die” sense is reserved for large animals such as elephants.

1 fall down synonyms

• ตก

  tòk fall

  ตก focuses on moving downward from a higher place. ล้ม focuses on losing an upright position and falling over.

• หกล้ม

  hòk lóm fall over

  หกล้ม specifically refers to a person taking a fall, often after tripping or losing balance. ล้ม is broader and can also describe trees, furniture, and other upright objects falling.

2 overthrow synonyms

• ยกเลิก

  yóklə̂ək cancel

  ยกเลิก is the ordinary, neutral word for officially canceling an event, agreement, or service. ล้ม can suggest actively defeating or scuttling a plan, project, or government.

• โค่น

  khôon overthrow (a government or ruler)

  โค่น suggests bringing down a powerful person, regime, or large object such as a tree. ล้ม also applies more broadly to defeating plans and proposals.

3 collapse (as a business) synonyms

• ล้มละลาย

  ล้มละลาย specifically means becoming bankrupt, often in a legal or financial sense. ล้ม can refer more broadly to a business collapsing or ceasing to operate.

• เจ๊ง

  céŋ go out of business

  เจ๊ง is an informal, conversational word for a business going bust. ล้ม is more neutral and uses the metaphor of something collapsing.

4 die (of a large animal) synonyms

• ฆ่า

  khâa kill

  ฆ่า is the general verb meaning “kill.” ล้ม is used more specifically for slaughtering large livestock, commonly for meat.

• ตาย

  taay die

  ตาย is the general word for dying and can be used for people and animals. ล้ม in the sense of dying is restricted to large animals, especially elephants.