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

Obsidian Entertainment has done an admirable job avoiding those pitfalls in its work, and 2019’s The Outer Worlds is a great example. —Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025

Common pitfalls include adding too much salt, relying heavily on canned varieties, and using too much cream or butter. —Brian Mastroianni, Health, 22 Oct. 2025

At the time, Sinegal was dismissive of the women’s concerns—a reminder of the pitfalls of turning one person’s ethos into an organization’s moral compass. —Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025

But while interest in the technology is growing, there are potential pitfalls to relying on AI. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 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