downfall en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈdaʊnfɔːl/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From down- + fall. In this spelling, from 16th century; spelled as two words from 13th century.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) A precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth.
The Black Cats contributed to their own downfall for the only goal when Titus Bramble, making his first appearance since Boxing Day, and Michael Turner, let Phil Jones' cross bounce across the six-yard box as [Wayne] Rooney tucked in at the back post.
2012 May 13, Alistair Magowan, “Sunderland 0 – 1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 09 May 2019:Many economic and political reasons led to the downfall of the Roman Empire.
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(countable, uncountable) The cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error.
Orson Scott Card It is the downfall of evil, that it never sees far enough ahead.
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(countable, uncountable) An act of falling down.
a downfall of rain
[T]he prominent character of leading young lady or heroine, which Paula was to personate, was really the most satisfactory in the whole list for her. For although she was to be wooed hard, there was just as much love-making among the remaining personages; while, as Somerset had understood the play, there could occur no flingings of her person upon her lover's neck, or agonized downfalls upon the stage, in her whole performance, [...]
1880–1881, Thomas Hardy, chapter VII, in A Laodicean; or, The Castle of the De Stancys. A Story of To-day. […], volume II, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, […], published 1881, →OCLC, book the third (De Stancy), page 147:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| downfalls | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| downfal | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Operation Downfall · Willsons Downfall
Synonyms
Translations (51)
el ήττα (cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error) · pt ruína (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · th ความพินาศ (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · hi अधोगति (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · hu bukás (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · es ocaso (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · la ruīna (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · pl upadek (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · fi kukistuminen (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · bg провал (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · ru паде́ние (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · fr chute (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · es decaimiento (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · de Niedergang (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · ru обва́л (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · el πτώση (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · nl neergang (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · fi tuho (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · eo falego (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · es decadencia (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · ml പതനം (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · hi पतन (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · ja 最期 (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · az dağılma (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · de Ruin (cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error) · es perdición (cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error) · cmn 倒臺 /倒台 (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · it rovina (cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error) · it rovescio (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · it caduta (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · mi whakahinganga (cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error) · ja 致命傷 (cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error) · ja 衰亡 (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · hu kudarc (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · fi tuho (cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error) · qu urma (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · yi אומקומעניש (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · pl zguba (cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error) · ja 滅亡 (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · it rovinio (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · mi hinganga (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · it tonfo (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · es caída (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · pt queda (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · ru крах (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · az süqut (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · ru круше́ние (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · de Verfall (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · de Untergang (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · hy անկում (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth) · bg крах (precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth)