# downfall

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdaʊnfɔːl/ · frequency rank #14,109

## Definitions
1. A precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth.
2. The cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error.
3. An act of falling down.

## Etymology
From down- + fall. In this spelling, from 16th century; spelled as two words from 13th century.

## Easily confused with
- **downhill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/downfall-vs-downhill)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ddownfall`, `donwfall`, `dowfnall`, `downafll`, `downfal`, `downffall`, `downflal`, `downnfall`, `dowwnfall`, `dwonfall`, `odwnfall`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/downfall