pitfall

[pit-fawl]

noun

1. a lightly covered and unnoticeable pit prepared as a trap for people or animals.

2. any trap or danger for the unwary.

   the pitfall of excessive pride.

pitfall

/ ˈpɪtˌfɔːl /

noun

1. an unsuspected difficulty or danger

2. a trap in the form of a concealed pit, designed to catch men or wild animals

Word History and Origins

Origin of pitfall¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English pittefalle, equivalent to pitte pit ¹ + falle ( Old English fealle ) “trap”

Word History and Origins

Origin of pitfall¹

Old English pytt _pit ¹ + fealle trap

Synonym Study

See trap ¹.

Example Sentences

Their performance over the past year highlights their pitfalls.

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Match plans to expand the feature to different languages, and is incorporating large language models and generative AI to help users avoid common pitfalls in early messaging.

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Then again, even that narrative may have pitfalls.

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These 3 tips can help you avoid the pitfalls.

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Here’s what you need to know about navigating this year’s Medicare enrollment pitfalls.

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Related Words

• danger 
• difficulty 
• drawback 
• peril 
• risk 
• snag