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

• death
• destruction
• ruin
• ruination
• undoing

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

Ankara the Muslim Brotherhood government under Mohamed Morsi in Egypt before its downfall in 2014. —Sinan Ciddi and Jonathan Schanzer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025

So what’s contributing to Ethereum’s downfall and what might lie ahead for the pioneering blockchain platform? —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

New Bedford, for instance, transformed into an industrial powerhouse following the downfall of the city’s famed whaling industry in the 1860s. — Made By History, Time, 21 Apr. 2025

Money, and his attraction to Mary, end up being his downfall. —Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 18 Apr. 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