downfall

American  

[doun-fawl] / ˈdaʊnˌfɔl /

noun

1. descent to a lower position or standing; overthrow; ruin.

2. something causing ruin, failure, etc..

   Liquor was his downfall.

3. a fall, as of rain, snow, or the like, often sudden or heavy.

4. a trap using a falling weight for killing, injuring, or imprisoning the prey.

---

downfall British  

/ ˈdaʊnˌfɔːl /

noun

1. a sudden loss of position, health, or reputation

2. a fall of rain, snow, etc, esp a sudden heavy one

3. another word for deadfall

---

Other Word Forms

• downfallen
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of downfall

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; down ¹ + fall

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

Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards, focuses on how a young vulnerable man, played by Osian Morgan, came into contact with one of the most powerful figures in television.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Downfall: It all began to unravel as allegations of fraud piled up.

From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2023

Geoffrey Kabaservice is vice president of political studies at the Niskanen Center and author of “Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, From Eisenhower to the Tea Party.”

From Washington Post • Nov. 14, 2022

Fox and Kardashian co-presented the "Tickets to My Downfall" collaborators’ performance where Kelly sang "Papercuts" and Barker played the drums.

From Fox News • Sep. 13, 2021

Then he turned to see Bogrod shaking his head in bewilderment: The Thief’s Downfall seemed to have lifted the Imperius Curse.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• breakdown
• collapse
• debacle
• destruction
• deterioration
• overthrow
• undoing