downfall B2 Topic:General Vocabulary Also spelled down-fall US /ˈdaʊnfɔːl/ See IPA manual Freq #15155 Meanings 1 noun A sudden loss of power, success, or wealth. Many factors led to the downfall of the Roman Empire. 2 noun The thing that causes someone to fail or be ruined. His love of gambling proved to be his downfall. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a sudden loss of power,... fallruin Word family Forms downfalls Etymology AI details From down- + fall. In this spelling, from 16th century; spelled as two words from 13th century. Topics General Vocabulary External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # downfall **Type:** Word **Level:** B2 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈdaʊnfɔːl/ **Frequency rank:** 15155 ## Meanings 1. A sudden loss of power, success, or wealth. 2. The thing that causes someone to fail or be ruined. ## Examples - Many factors led to the downfall of the Roman Empire. - His love of gambling proved to be his downfall. ## Etymology From down- + fall. In this spelling, from 16th century; spelled as two words from 13th century. ## AI Etymology Downfall comes from down- + fall. In this spelling, from 16th century; spelled as two words from 13th century. In current use, the main senses are “A sudden loss of power, success, or wealth” and “The thing that causes someone to fail or be ruined”. ## Topics - General Vocabulary markdown