Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Downfall
Down′fallˊ
(doun′fa̤lˊ)
, Noun.
1.
A sudden fall; a body of things falling.
Those cataracts or
downfalls
aforesaid. Holland.
Each
downfall
of a flood the mountains pour. Dryden.
Dire were the consequences which would follow the
downfall
of so important a place. Motley.
Webster 1828 Edition
Downfall
DOWNFALL
,Noun.
1.
A falling, or body of things falling; as the downfall of a flood.2.
Ruin; destruction; a sudden fall; or ruin by violence, in distinction from slow decay or declension; as the downfall of the Roman empire, occasioned by the conquests of the Northern nations; the downfall of a city.3.
The sudden fall, depression or ruin of reputation or estate. We speak of the downfall of pride or glory, and of distinguished characters.Definition 2024
downfall
downfall
English
Noun
downfall (plural downfalls)
- A precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth.
- Many economic and political reasons led to the downfall of the Roman Empire.
- 2012 May 13, Alistair Magowan, “Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:
- 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 Rooney tucked in at the back post.
- 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.
- Orson Scott Card
- An act of falling down.
- Thomas Hardy, A Laodicean
- […] 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 […]
- Thomas Hardy, A Laodicean
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth
cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error
Verb
downfall (third-person singular simple present downfalls, present participle downfalling, simple past downfell, past participle downfallen)
- (intransitive) To fall down; deteriorate; decline.
- 1977, Mina P. Shaughnessy, Errors and expectations: a guide for the teacher of basic writing:
- [...] wants to make civilization his subject, he will have a hard time proceeding with the sentence unless collapse is in his active vocabulary, for he cannot say "our civilization will downfall" or "fall down."
- 1998, Peter Vink, Ernst A. P. Koningsveld, Steven Dhondt, Human factors in organizational design and management-VI:
- Common belief has been that in the future the number of middle managers will downfall due to empowerment and team-building.
- 1998, Lithuanian physics journal:
- It should be noted that the magnitude of satellites decreases when tuning out of degeneracy, and in the wavelength range of 1.2-1.3 pm it downfalls to the value of 10-15% of the main spike magnitude.
- 2008, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra:
- [...] As goodly air as ever From lunar orb downfell— Be it by hazard, Or supervened it by arrogancy?
- 1977, Mina P. Shaughnessy, Errors and expectations: a guide for the teacher of basic writing:
Derived terms
- down-fallen, downfallen