# downhill

Pronunciation: say "down-HIL" /ˌdaʊnˈhɪl/

## Adverb

1. In a direction leading down a slope, toward lower ground.
   - Simple: In a direction that goes down a slope.
   - _Rainwater flows downhill and collects in the lowest part of the yard._
   - _The cyclists coasted downhill for nearly two miles._
3. Toward a worse state or condition, as when something declines in quality or keeps getting worse.
   - Simple: In a way that keeps getting worse.
   - _The conversation went downhill the moment politics came up._
   - _Critics agree the show's quality slid downhill after its third season._

## Adjective

Pronunciation: say "DOWN-hil" /ˈdaʊnˌhɪl/

2. Sloping toward lower ground, or moving down a hill or slope.
   - Simple: Moving or leading down a slope or hill.
   - _The downhill stretch of the trail let the runners recover before the final climb._
   - _Brakes wear faster on long downhill drives through the mountains._
4. Positioned lower down a slope or hill, at or near its bottom.
   - Simple: At or near the bottom of a slope or hill.
   - _Water pooled along the downhill edge of the field._
   - _The downhill neighbors complained that runoff from the new driveway reached their yard._
7. Easy; involving little difficulty or effort.
   - Simple: Easy, with little effort or trouble needed.
   - _After the merger paperwork cleared, the rest of the transition was downhill._
   - _Veterans of the training program say everything after the first month is downhill._

## Noun

Pronunciation: say "DOWN-hil" /ˈdaʊnˌhɪl/

5. A fast run down a hill in a sport that involves racing down slopes, especially alpine skiing.
   - Simple: A fast ride or race down a hill in sports such as skiing.
   - _The Austrian skier posted the fastest downhill of the afternoon._
   - _Mountain bikers can compare times from their downhills using the trail app._
6. An alpine skiing discipline in which racers reach higher speeds than in any other discipline.
   - Simple: The fastest kind of race in alpine skiing, the sport of skiing down mountains.
   - _Downhill demands more raw speed than slalom or giant slalom._
   - _She switched from slalom to downhill midway through her career._

## Verb

Pronunciation: say "DOWN-hil" /ˈdaʊnˌhɪl/

8. To ski down a hill or slope for sport.
   - Simple: To ski down a slope or mountain for sport.
   - _Most resort guests downhill in the morning and snowboard after lunch._
   - _They downhilled until the lifts closed, then warmed up in the lodge._

## Origin

Formed from the prefix "down-" combined with "hill".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/downhill (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).