downhill

American  

[daun-hil, daun-hil] / ˈdaʊnˈhɪl, ˈdaʊnˌhɪl /

adverb

1. down the slope of a hill; downward.

2. into a worse or inferior condition.

   The business has been going downhill.

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adjective

1. going or tending downward on or as on a hill.

2. free of problems or obstacles; easy.

   After the initial setbacks on the project, it was downhill all the way.

3. of or relating to skiing downhill.

noun

1. a timed ski race on a steep slope in which competitors take the most direct route to the finish line following a course with relatively few turns and attaining very high speeds.

downhill British  

/ ˈdaʊnˈhɪl /

adjective

1. going or sloping down

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adverb

1. towards the bottom of a hill; downwards

2. informal to decline; deteriorate

noun

1. the downward slope of a hill; descent

2. a competitive event in which skiers are timed in a downhill run

Etymology

Origin of downhill

First recorded in 1585–95; down ¹ + hill

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

downhill

Of particular interest were deposits called turbidites, which can form when underwater landslides send large amounts of sediment rushing downhill.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

Before that, as “rock porridge” still slid downhill, and the rain still fell, the annual parade had come off as scheduled, if not as planned.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

It holds huge amounts of water, slowing rain as it moves downhill, reducing flooding and filtering out sediment before it reaches the reservoir.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

On the last day, we rode downhill to the Mississippi, where waves of happy cyclists performed one last ritual, dipping their wheels in the river.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

We take the same route downhill from the high side of town as we took earlier with our families to go to the parade.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Related Words

• falling