pitfall
Americannoun
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pitfalls
plural
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a lightly covered and unnoticeable pit prepared as a trap for people or animals.
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any trap or danger for the unwary.
the pitfall of excessive pride.
noun
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an unsuspected difficulty or danger
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a trap in the form of a concealed pit, designed to catch men or wild animals
Synonym Usage
See trap 1.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pitfall
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English pittefalle, equivalent to pitte pit 1 + falle ( Old English fealle ) “trap”
Explanation
A pitfall is a trap or difficulty you didn't see. A possible pitfall for high school seniors is not working hard after they know they've already been accepted into college. In 1300, pitfall referred to an animal trap, such as branches laid across a deep hole offering no escape. Since the 1580s, pitfall has come to describe any hidden or unexpected difficulty, and its meaning has expanded to apply to humans. You might encounter a pitfall when trying to use a brand new computer program that's unexpectedly precise. It can even be a habit you don't want to address, like the pitfalls of snacking in front of the television every night.
Vocabulary lists containing pitfall
"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 4
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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The Scoop on Net Neutrality
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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.
See Examples For:
“I think that’s the most common pitfall we see. You can get overlaps in exposures, or gaps in exposures, that you don’t realize that you have.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
One major pitfall is that it may introduce visual bias into the hiring process, she noted.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
While the fund has been a winner for investors, its success highlights a key pitfall for ETF investors.
From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026
So, as they embarked on a third-straight postseason that began with an awkward first-round bye week, players brainstormed ways to avoid that pitfall again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2024
Instead, he sought to discover any trap or pitfall lurking in his “opponent’s” position and respond accordingly.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Critics warned of potential pitfalls before the law passed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
It’s not that he wouldn’t have appreciated or been ready for it in his youth, he says, but he has seen the pitfalls of success that happens too young.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
To be sure, there are pitfalls to plan for like the “kiddie tax,” whereby unearned income above a certain amount is taxed at the parents’ rate.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
There are pitfalls to aligning too closely however, as Reading and Charlton Athletic have previously discovered.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
He would see the pitfalls and opportunities develop and run the race in his head until he saw how to win it.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
