1.
precipice; sheer cliff; steep bluff
A very steep or vertical rock face. Used for natural cliffs and metaphorically for extreme, precarious situations.
絶壁から海を見下ろした。
I looked down at the sea from the cliff.
道の片側は切り立った絶壁だった。
One side of the road was a sheer cliff.
ロッククライマーたちが絶壁に挑んでいる姿は圧巻だった。
The sight of the rock climbers tackling the sheer cliff face was spectacular.
USAGE:
絶壁 emphasizes the extreme steepness or verticality of a cliff. Compare with 崖 (cliff, general) which does not necessarily imply a vertical face.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 切り立った絶壁 (a sheer, towering cliff)
- 断崖絶壁 (precipitous cliff — a set phrase combining two near-synonyms for emphasis)
- 絶壁をよじ登る (to scramble up a cliff face)
SLANG:
In casual speech, 絶壁 is sometimes used humorously to describe the back of someone's head when it is very flat (後頭部が絶壁).