degringolade
/deɪˌɡɹæŋ.ɡoʊˈlɑːd/
degringolade means A rapid decline or deterioration; a tumble.
degringolade is pronounced /deɪˌɡɹæŋ.ɡoʊˈlɑːd/.
Why “degringolade” is a great word
A rapid and often chaotic decline, deterioration, or collapse. Borrowed from French 'dégringolade', from the verb 'dégringoler' ("to tumble down"), itself likely from a combination of 'dé-' (indicating downward motion) and a root related to 'gringoler', an old or dialectal word for "to stumble". Unlike a measured "decline" or a terminal "downfall", *dégringolade* emphasizes the giddy, undignified process of the tumble itself. It is a stock market's free-fall in an afternoon, a reputation unraveling in real-time across a thousand screens, or a cascade of china from a shelf—the sickening spectacle of order losing its grip and gravity taking cruel, definitive hold.
noun
- A rapid decline or deterioration; a tumble.e.g.“The dégringolade of Kitty Bell is forever linked to the name of Marie Dorval, the actress (and Vigny's mistress) for whom the play was written.”
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