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

That commodification of wildlife would lead to the downfall of nearly every large mammal in North America. —Literary Hub, 10 June 2026

One major contributor, the docuseries seems to argue, is the downfall of the prosecution at the hands of its own witnesses. —Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026

As Nick Saban mentioned, the former Alabama coach insists that the current system is going to be the downfall of athletic programs across the country. —Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026

Last month, the government also charged a special forces soldier who made over $400,000 from Polymarket trades betting on the downfall of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. —Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 29 May 2026

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