pitfall
Americannoun
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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
Related Words
See trap 1.
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.
Officials struggled to answer questions about post-fire beach safety in part because of a lack of historical data on pollution levels, a pitfall researchers would like to forestall before another disaster arrives.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
Another potential pitfall is a dispute over the construction of a flight of steps and a square as the main entrance to the facade of Glory, which would entail destroying blocks of adjacent homes.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
Another pitfall of AI is that it often aims to replace human effort, effectively becoming a crutch.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
The upside is a bigger paycheck sooner, while the pitfall is a chance of owing money at tax time, he said.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 21, 2025
He must have followed Grigori from the Wild West Show to the White City, or perhaps he had been lured there without even realizing it, like a bloodhound led to a pitfall.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
