downhill
downhill Lexical Profile
downhill Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Sloping or leading downward; moving toward the bottom of a hill or incline.
"The runners picked up speed on the downhill stretch of the marathon course."
Relating to or denoting alpine skiing or cycling races that are contested down a steep slope at high speed.
"She won the gold medal in the women's downhill skiing competition."
Relatively easy and free of major obstacles, comparable to coasting down a slope.
"Once we finish the database migration, the rest of the project should be a downhill journey."
• adverb
Toward the bottom of a hill or slope; in a downward direction.
"Water naturally flows downhill toward the river valley."
Into a steadily worsening state, condition, or quality.
"The restaurant's service has gone rapidly downhill since the original owner retired."
• noun
A fast-paced alpine skiing or mountain biking race held on a steep, descending course.
"The Austrian skier is the clear favorite to win Saturday's downhill."
A downward slope or declivity of a hill or road.
"Braking carefully on the steep downhills will prevent the bicycle tires from skidding."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'go downhill' as an adverbial phrase means to deteriorate or worsen, the adjective 'downhill' can sometimes mean easy and effortless (as in 'it is all downhill from here'), creating a potential ambiguity depending on context.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English as a compound of 'down' and 'hill', originally used as an adverbial phrase meaning 'down a slope'.