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

The seeds of his professional downfall lay in the fact that Watson would sometimes say things that were extremely hurtful, including remarks that were sexist, racist, and anti-Semitic. —Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025

For Marchant, that self-justification is central to Peter’s downfall. —Jp Mangalindan, Time, 6 Nov. 2025

The move comes 16 years after the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler that intensified Detroit’s downfall. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025

His story and downfall laid the groundwork for later financial scandals like Enron and Bernie Madoff. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Nov. 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