downhill

1 of 3

adverb

down·​hill ˌdau̇n-ˈhil 

1

: toward the bottom of a hill

2

: toward a worsened or inferior state or level

—used especially in the phrase go downhill

downhill

2 of 3

noun

down·​hill ˈdau̇n-ˌhil 

1

: a descending slope

2

a

: the sport of skiing on downhill trails

—often used attributively

b

: a skiing race against time down a trail

finished second in the downhill

downhill

3 of 3

adjective

down·​hill ˈdau̇n-ˌhil 

1

: not difficult : easy

after that problem the rest was downhill

2

: sloping downhill

3

: closer to the bottom of an incline

your downhill ski

4

: progressively worse

5

American football : relating to, employing, or being a style of running in which a ballcarrier moves powerfully forward into the line of scrimmage and down the field toward the opponent's end zone without a lot of movement toward the sidelines to avoid tacklers

a downhill runner

The Tigers use their tight ends as blockers. They're more suited to an assertive, downhill running game now.

—Bernie Miklasz

Synonyms

Noun

• dip
• descent
• decline
• fall

Adjective

• easy
• smooth
• simple
• cheap

Examples of downhill in a Sentence

Adverb

It is easier to ride a bike downhill than uphill.

Her career is heading downhill.

After his divorce, he went downhill fast.

The service has gone downhill under the new owner.

Noun

most runners will have their best splits on the downhills

Adjective

The second half of the hike is mostly downhill.

The worst part is over. It's all downhill from here.

The first part of the movie was pretty good, but after that it was all downhill.

His career has been all downhill in recent years.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Fire progress slowed as the fire crested some of the initial ridges and began backing downhill. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Slalom skateboarding, a form of downhill skateboard racing that has been around since the 1960s, was added to the World Skate Games in 2022. —Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025

Noun

Sanders took the approach of a speedy downhill runner compared to Jordan’s meandering style and also caught a short pass from Maiava and ran it in 74 yards for a touchdown and returned punts for USC in the second quarter. —Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025

While Pakistan is widely known among mountaineers for peaks like K2, Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak, its relatively untapped ski terrain creates a rare opportunity for exclusive downhill experiences. —Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025

Adjective

But those who survived the steep incline through eucalyptus trees were rewarded with a downhill half-mile sprint to the finish line as the fans lined the course, often four and five people deep. —Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025

Arguably the most impressive and officially among the longest downhill bike trails in the world, the Plunge takes you from atop the Grand Mesa down 6,000 vertical feet and 32 miles. —Shauna Farnell, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for downhill

• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• dunghill
• foothill
• fulfil
• fulfill
• goodwill
• gristmill

Kids Definition

downhill

1 of 3 adverb

down·​hill ˌdau̇n-ˈhil 

1

: toward the bottom of a hill

sleds speeding downhill

2

: toward a worsened or lower state or level

her health went downhill quickly

downhill

2 of 3 adjective

down·​hill ˈdau̇n-ˌhil 

: sloping downhill

downhill

3 of 3 noun

down·​hill -ˌhil 

1

: the sport of skiing on downhill trails

downhill skiing

2

: a skiing race against time down a trail

finished second in the downhill