pitfall means A potential, unsuspected, hidden problem, hazard, or danger that is easily encountered but not immediately obvious. It carries an Arena rating of 1589, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pitfall ranks #1,024 of 17,052 for Most Malleable Words, #2,033 of 17,058 for Most Ingenious Words, #2,440 of 17,052 for Most Storied Words, #2,471 of 17,052 for Most Exacting Words.
pitfall is pronounced /ˈpɪtfɔːl/.
Why “pitfall” is a great word
A hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty, or a trap consisting of a concealed pit. From Middle English, combining 'pit' (a hole in the ground) and 'fall' (from Old English *fealle*, 'trap, snare'), first recorded in the 14th century. Unlike a 'hazard,' which signals its presence openly, or a 'snare,' which actively ensnares, a pitfall is an absence cunningly disguised as solid ground. It is the rotted step masked by carpet, the promising email that empties a bank account, or the casual remark that destroys a friendship years in the making—the treachery of surfaces that look solid, the ancient human fear that the earth itself might betray our weight.
Etymology
First recorded use in the 14th century from pit + fall in the sense of "pit trap, pit snare", from Old English fealle (“trap, snare”), from Proto-Germanic *fallą, *fallaz (“a fall, trap”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pōl-. Cognate with German Falle (“trap, snare”).
noun
- A potential, unsuspected, hidden problem, hazard, or danger that is easily encountered but not immediately obvious.e.g.“It's usually a simple task, but you should know the pitfalls before you attempt it yourself.”
- A type of trap consisting of a concealed pit in the ground, which the victim is supposed to fall into and not be able to get out from.
- An antipattern.
- Subsidence below ground in a mine, which can cause the ground level above to drop.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- jeopardy 56% match — Danger of failure, harm, or loss. vs pitfall →
- deathtrap 54% match — An extremely dangerous location, structure, or device. vs pitfall →
- pothole 51% match — A shallow pit or other edged depression in a road's surface, especially when caused by erosion by weather or traffic. vs pitfall →
- tarpit 51% match — A lake of asphalt formed when subterranean bitumen leaks to the ground surface. Such pits are important in forming fossil fuel reserves; they are also apt to trap passing animals, which become fossilized in the tar. vs pitfall →
- stumblingblock 51% match — An obstacle; a difficulty. vs pitfall →
- bugbear 51% match — An ongoing problem; a recurring obstacle or adversity. vs pitfall →
- dicey 51% match — Fraught with danger. vs pitfall →
- caveat 50% match — A warning. vs pitfall →