pitfall

noun

pit·​fall ˈpit-ˌfȯl 

1

: trap entry 1, snare

specifically : a pit flimsily covered or camouflaged and used to capture and hold animals or people

2

: a hidden or not easily recognized danger or difficulty

Synonyms

• booby trap
• catch
• catch-22
• gimmick
• gotcha
• hitch
• joker
• land mine
• snag

Examples of pitfall in a Sentence

buying a house can be full of pitfalls for the unwary

one of the pitfalls of ignorance is that people will also assume you're stupid

Recent Examples on the Web

Pure common sense, anticipation, preparation, and redundancy will avoid or counteract most of the physical and logistical pitfalls. —Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

The sweeping biopic charts the rise of the pop star, from his days as a cheeky 8-year-old in a working-class U.K. town to his battles with the usual pitfalls of fame and money. —Ramin Zahed, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024

To avoid that common pitfall, Heller’s nontraditional audition process for the film’s son involved a lot of just hanging out in the park and playing with kids. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024

Naturally, there are all sorts of potential pitfalls. —Rich Lowry, National Review, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pitfall

noun

pit·​fall ˈpit-ˌfȯl 

1

: trap entry 1 sense 1, snare

especially : a covered or camouflaged pit used to capture animals or people

2

: a danger or difficulty that is hidden or is not easily recognized