downfall

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)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 Black Cats contributed to their own downfall for the only goal when Titus Bramble, making his first appearance since Boxing Day, and Michael Turner, let Phil Jones' cross bounce across the six-yard box as [Wayne] Rooney tucked in at the back post.”

2. (countable, uncountable)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.”

3. (countable, uncountable)An act of falling down.

   “a downfall of rain”

   “[T]he prominent character of leading young lady or heroine, which Paula was to personate, was really the most satisfactory in the whole list for her. For although she was to be wooed hard, there was just as much love-making among the remaining personages; while, as Somerset had understood the play, there could occur no flingings of her person upon her lover's neck, or agonized downfalls upon the stage, in her whole performance, [...]”

verb

1. (intransitive)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."”

   “Common belief has been that in the future the number of middle managers will downfall due to empowerment and team-building.”

   “It should be noted that the magnitude of satellites decreases when tuning out of degeneracy, and in the wavelength range of 1.2-1.3 pm it downfalls to the value of 10-15% of the main spike magnitude.”

   “[...] As goodly air as ever From lunar orb downfell— Be it by hazard, Or supervened it by arrogancy?”