downfall means A precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth. Lexicurio rates it Distinctive — a strength score of 67 out of 100.
downfall is pronounced /ˈdaʊnfɔːl/.
Etymology
From down- + fall. In this spelling, from 16th century; spelled as two words from 13th century.
noun
- 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.”
- 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.”
- An act of falling down.“a downfall of rain”
verb
- To fall down; deteriorate; decline.“[...] 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."”