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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• downfallen adjective

Etymology

Origin of downfall

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

Example Sentences

After the airstrikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian-Canadian Salar Gholami went to a rally in a Toronto suburb to celebrate the downfall of a leader he fiercely opposed.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Still, the post-Oscar slump exists nonetheless, fueled by a world that enjoys building people up before laughing at their downfall.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

They’ll get into the psychodrama of Kit Harrington’s Henry Muck, the thrilling parallels to real world stories, the tragic downfall of Eric Tao, and more.

From Slate • Mar. 3, 2026

For the Mirage, the push to commercialize hastened its downfall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Degeneracy, rather than signaling the downfall of a society, as it once did, will now signal peace for a troubled world.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

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