downfall

noun

down·​fall ˈdau̇n-ˌfȯl 

1

a

: a sudden fall (as from power)

b

: a fall (as of snow or rain) especially when sudden or heavy

2

: something that causes a downfall (as of a person)

gambling was his downfall

downfallen

ˈdau̇n-ˌfȯ-lən 

adjective

Synonyms of downfall

• death
• destruction
• undoing
• ruination
• curse
• kiss of death
• ruin

Examples of downfall in a Sentence

Their downfall was the result of several bad decisions.

Bad decision-making was their downfall.

Recent Examples on the Web

At that time, millions of Iraqis joined the protests and demanded the downfall of a corrupt political system midwifed by Beltway hawks and neoconservative ideologues, which has ended up beholden to the mullahs of Iran. —Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025

Netflix said in a press release that the documentary examines Combs' rise to fame and subsequent downfall, including intimate footage shot with Combs’ knowledge and interviews with former associates and accusers. —Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025

And in retrospect, that kind of was my downfall. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025

Their pitching rotation was the downfall of the season this year, so the front office needs to prioritize it going forward. —Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for downfall

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

downfall

noun

down·​fall ˈdau̇n-ˌfȯl 

1

: fall sense 2c

especially : a sudden or heavy fall (as of rain)

2

: a fall (as from power, happiness, or high position) or a cause of such a fall

downfallen

-ˌfȯ-lən 

adjective