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downfall

[ doun-fawl ]
/ ˈdaʊnˌfɔl /
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See synonyms for downfall on Thesaurus.com
noun
descent to a lower position or standing; overthrow; ruin.
something causing ruin, failure, etc.: Liquor was his downfall.
a fall, as of rain, snow, or the like, often sudden or heavy.
a trap using a falling weight for killing, injuring, or imprisoning the prey.
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Origin of downfall

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at down1, fall

OTHER WORDS FROM downfall

downfallen, adjective

Words nearby downfall

down East, down-easter, downer, Downers Grove, Downey, downfall, downfallen, downfield, downforce, down for the count, downgrade
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to downfall

breakdown, collapse, debacle, destruction, deterioration, overthrow, undoing, atrophy, bane, cloudburst, comedown, comeuppance, decadence, declension, degeneracy, degeneration, deluge, descent, devolution, discomfiture

How to use downfall in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for downfall

downfall
/ (ˈdaʊnˌfɔːl) /
noun
a sudden loss of position, health, or reputation
a fall of rain, snow, etc, esp a sudden heavy one
another word for deadfall
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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