downfall
Americannoun
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a sudden loss of position, health, or reputation
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a fall of rain, snow, etc, esp a sudden heavy one
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another word for deadfall
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of downfall
Explanation
A downfall is a sudden drop in status or strength. You might be winning at Monopoly until your opponents decide to team up against you, which leads to your downfall. Poor political decisions can result in the downfall of a government or party, and an economic depression can lead to the downfall of businesses and banks. A more literal, but less common, kind of downfall is when rain or snow falls down to the ground: "The downfall of snow will make the roads slippery tonight." The "decline in strength" meaning has been in use since the 14th century.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
England engineered their own downfall in Perth in a blur of rash drives.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
One major contributor, the docuseries seems to argue, is the downfall of the prosecution at the hands of its own witnesses.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
As the book’s subtitle indicates, Mr. Bayliss, a scholar of Greek history at the University of Birmingham in England, situates the Spartans firmly within the time-honored pattern of overreach leading to downfall.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
The musician predicted his downfall earlier in the week, admitting that his synth-driven track was "Marmite - you either love it or hate it".
From BBC • May 17, 2026
And Samir’s stories were his downfall as well.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
