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

Hastert was aware of the personal pitfalls of holding the powerful position. — Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Wikimedia, however, believes that accepting the pitfalls isn’t enough and that OpenAI must monitor and prevent these security incidents. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026

Caputo vowed to prevent such pitfalls, with intelligence and financial oversight agencies helping to vet applicants’ identities, criminal records and sources of funds. — Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Recognizing these pitfalls early can help leaders steer their organizations through uncertainty without sacrificing future stability. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 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