"Jumped from/off a cliff" (2025)

"This guy Jumped from/off a cliff"
Let's say somebody wanted to commit a suicide...

What preposition would fit here?

And I just googled this sentence and it seems like more people use "the" as the article in this sentence.

What do you say?

Thanks.

bibliolept said:

While you could use both "from" or "off," the second is probably more idiomatic. Technically, you ought to say "from the top of a cliff" or "off the top of a cliff."
The use of "the" and "this" depends on the context.

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The second vote for "off" here.

And I would say "He jumped off the cliff" (don't really know why......sounds better, maybe........)

Harry Batt said:

I wouldn't us from a cliff. The common usage is off a cliff. If you use from a cliff, the cliff becomes a location. Doubtless a listener would understand that the cliff had been he means of executing the suicide. The listener, however, might want to know, "from which cliff, or where was the cliff?"

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You mean that if it was a building you would use "from" ??

and the listener can ask:
"From which cliff?" (even though as a sentence it's more common to use " off the cliff" ?) or he would say " off what cliff? "

Thanks.

sdgraham said:

To me, jumping OFF something implies a definite downward motion or plunge. A jump FROM something seems to be more indefinite as to direction.

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Can you give a more specific example for "jump from", please ?

Thanks

roniy said:

Can you give a more specific example for "jump from", please ?

Thanks

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"I jump from my bed to the floor" for example.

roniy said:

Can you give a more specific example for "jump from", please ?

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The children were jumping from one bed to another.

The sailor on the sinking ship jumped from the mast to the rescue sling on the helicopter.

In Brooklyn, it is possible to jump from one rooftop to another.

Note also that a "jumping-off place" is a place from which one departs and has nothing to do with plunging off of something.

You can also jump "from" something if you are inside of it:

"He jumped from the speeding car as it roared around the bend."

"She leapt/jumped from the burning building, into the arms of the firemen."

I'll say "jump off the cliff".

When using "from", you have to think of the corresponding "to". In the context of cliff, you can "jump from the top of the cliff (to the bottom of the cliff)". But it'll be strange to say "jump from the cliff" because your destination is still part of the cliff (ie. the bottom of the cliff).

cycloneviv said:

You can also jump "from" something if you are inside of it:

"He jumped from the speeding car as it roared around the bend."

"She leapt/jumped from the burning building, into the arms of the firemen."

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Good point. You jump from an aeroplane too.
You jump from something you are in.
You jump off something you are on.
(A dangerous generalisation )