pitfall
English · Thesaurus
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pitfall
- /ˈpɪtfɔːl/ UK
- /ˈpɪtfɔl/ US
Where it comes from
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 pitfalls
-
A type of trap consisting of a concealed pit in the ground, into which the victim is supposed to fall and not be able to get out from.
Similar: trapping pit
-
A potential, unsuspected, hidden problem, hazard, or danger that is easily encountered but not immediately obvious.
It's usually a simple task, but you should know the pitfalls before you attempt it yourself.
Similar: trap
-
An antipattern.
Similar: antipattern, dark pattern
- Subsidence below ground in a mine, which can cause the ground level above to drop. This pitfall, beginning in February and finishing in May, resulted in a drop of about 3 ft. in the platform level; during this period it was necessary to level the track three times weekly, and impose a service slack of 15 m.p.h. The subsidence appears now to have finished, and normal speed is once
verb pitfalls · pitfalling · pitfalled
- To trap, snare, or ensnare someone or something.
Translations
Every language
verb potential problem, hazard, or danger
| Español | obstáculo, trampa, asechanza, escollo |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 落とし穴 otoshiana, 落し穴 otoshiana, 落穴 otoshiana |
| 中文 | 陷阱 xiànjǐng |
| Português | cilada, armadilha |
| Français | écueil, piège |
| Deutsch | Fallstrick |
| Italiano | pericolo, insidia |
| Русский | лову́шка lovúška, западня́ zapadnjá, подво́дные ка́мни podvódnyje kámni |
Talk about this word "pitfall." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/pitfall. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. pitfall. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/pitfall "pitfall." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/pitfall.Cite this
@misc{pitfall_2026,
title = {pitfall},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/pitfall},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
