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Downfall
//ˈdaʊnfɔːl// noun, verb
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth. countable, uncountable
"Many economic and political reasons led to the downfall of the Roman Empire."
- 2 failure that results in a loss of position or reputation wordnet
- 3 The cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error. countable, uncountable
"Orson Scott Card It is the downfall of evil, that it never sees far enough ahead."
- 4 a sudden decline in strength or number or importance wordnet
- 5 An act of falling down. countable, uncountable
"a downfall of rain"
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- 6 the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist) wordnet
Verb
- 1 To fall down; deteriorate; decline. intransitive
"[...] 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.""
Etymology
Etymology 1
From down- + fall. In this spelling, from 16th century; spelled as two words from 13th century.
Etymology 2
From down- + fall. In this spelling, from 16th century; spelled as two words from 13th century.
See also for "downfall"
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Unscramble this word: downfall