Rappel is a climbinga sport or activity of going up rocks, mountains, or walls term. It can mean the act of descendingmoving downward from a higher place to a lower one a steephaving a sharp slope that is hard to climb or walk on rock face or wall using a rope, or the action of doing that descent.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ræˈpɛl/
Easy pronunciation: ra-PEL (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable.
Verb meaning to descend by a rope from above.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Rappel Meaning
to go down a cliff or wall using a rope
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to descend by means of a rope attached above you
Example: After reaching the ledge, the climbers rappelled down the rock face.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- abseil — Standard synonym in climbing contexts.
- rope down — Used in climbing contexts, though less formal than abseil.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Rappel
Meaning 2
a rope descent down a cliff or wall
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a descent of a vertical cliff or wall made by using a doubled rope fixed to a higher point and wrapped around the body
Example: The instructor demonstrated the rappel before the students tried it.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- abseil — Common noun for the same climbing descent, especially in British English.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Rappel Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- abseil
- rope down
noun: a rope descent down a cliff or wall
- abseil
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes confuse rappel with repel, but they are different words.
- Rappel is usually used in climbing or rescue situations, not for ordinary walking down something steep.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does rappel mean?
Rappel means to go down a steep surface, such as a cliff or wall, by using a rope.
What is a synonym for rappel?
A strong synonym for rappel is abseil. In some contexts, rope down also works.
Is rappel a verb or a noun?
Rappel can be both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it means to descend using a rope. As a noun, it refers to the rope descent itself.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
