pitfall

noun

pit·​fall ˈpit-ˌfȯl 

1

: trap entry 1, snare

specifically : a pit flimsily covered or camouflaged and used to capture and hold animals or people

2

: a hidden or not easily recognized danger or difficulty

Synonyms

• risk
• hitch
• snag

Examples of pitfall in a Sentence

buying a house can be full of pitfalls for the unwary

one of the pitfalls of ignorance is that people will also assume you're stupid

Recent Examples on the Web

Not only are both movies about the pleasures and pitfalls of collaborative art-making; both also emerged from the labyrinth of Linklater’s own long-term creative relationships. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025

Maze was also concerned about federal civil rights pitfalls that can come with doing immigration work, such as potential racial-profiling lawsuits. —Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025

To become a popular creator is akin to striking it rich one day out of the blue, with all of the benefits but also all of the pitfalls. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 24 Sep. 2025

What pitfalls are there with AI therapy? —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pitfall

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

Kids Definition

pitfall

noun

pit·​fall ˈpit-ˌfȯl 

1

: trap entry 1 sense 1, snare

especially : a covered or camouflaged pit used to capture animals or people

2

: a danger or difficulty that is hidden or is not easily recognized