Etymologically
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downfall

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈdaʊnfɔːl/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English down- + fall,[2][3] on the model of the phrasal verb fall down;[2] the Middle English form is dounfal.[4] Etymonline takes the parts as the adverb and the verb rather than the prefix and the noun.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A fall from a high position to ruin: in the Cursor Mundi, composed before 1325 and copied before 1400.[2] Etymonline dates it to the early 14th century, Merriam-Webster to the 13th century and Dictionary.com to 1250–1300.[5][4][6]

Semantic evolution

The figurative sense, a fall from power or prosperity, is the oldest; the phrasal verb fall down was used of going to ruin from the late 12th century.[2][5] The literal sense, a falling from a height, appears about 1500,[5][2] followed by a steep slope or abyss (1542) and a tumble (1556).[2] From about 1563 the word could name the cause of someone's ruin.[2][3] A torrent or waterfall was a downfall from 1578 to 1908, and in Britain a heavy fall of rain or snow from 1603.[2][4] A trap that falls on an animal is recorded from 1856.[2]

Timeline

  • before 1325 – a fall from high standing to ruin.[2]
  • c. 1350 – verb, to fall down.[2]
  • c. 1500 – a falling from a height.[2][5]
  • 1542 – a steep slope; an abyss.[2]
  • 1563 – the cause of someone's ruin.[2]
  • 1578 – a waterfall (until 1908).[2]
  • 1603 – a heavy fall of rain or snow.[2]
  • 1856 – a falling trap, a deadfall.[2]
  • 1969 – in the United States, fallen trees and branches.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A sudden loss of power, status, wealth or reputation; ruin: the downfall of the old regime.[4][2][3]
  2. The cause of such a loss: Pride was her downfall.[2][3]
  3. A fall of rain or snow, especially a sudden heavy one.[4][2]
  4. A trap with a part that falls on and catches the animal; a deadfall.[4][2]
  5. (archaic) A steep descent; an abyss.[4][2]

Verb

  1. (chiefly literary) To fall down.[3][2]

Word family

  • downfallen

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House