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 of pitfall

• 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

One key factor differentiating companies that do well at succession planning from those that do badly is the incumbent CEO’s willingness to engage in the task of picking someone to succeed them, another recent analysis of succession pitfalls found. —Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 14 Nov. 2025

The CiQUS method aims to bypass those pitfalls. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Nov. 2025

Noam Chomsky, José Mujica, and Saúl Alvídrez discuss the potential and pitfalls of automation. —Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025

The situation is the latest example of the potential pitfalls connected with the growing use of AI. —Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 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