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
• 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 music industry – any field in entertainment, actually – can be fraught with exciting parties, events, and the spoils that come with hitting it big, but all of these things have spelled the downfall for too many talented artists. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

But his greedy schemes and her desire to keep her dog immortal led to the downfall of her once-thriving business and turned her into a woman on the run. —Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025

The real hoax is that the Democrats are now using these victims to deflect from their party's spectacular downfall. —Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025

Paula Deen's new documentary follows her downfall after her headline-making N-word controversy. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 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