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 of pitfall

• risk
• hitch
• 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

Some have already pointed out the system’s pitfalls, however. —Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 11 May 2026

No matter what happens at the SJC, there are still plenty of pitfalls for her. —Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 7 May 2026

The 77-year-old monarch faced a number of possible pitfalls from a bombastic US president known for creating controversy and generating headlines at the lowest moment for US-UK relations in modern history. —Max Foster, CNN Money, 1 May 2026

In the first, Batula defends dating Wilson by alluding to something Miller said on the show about the pitfalls of dating white men as a Black woman. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pitfall

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

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