Words / B2

down-HIL/ˌdaʊnˈhɪl/

Downhill means towards the bottom of a slope; go downhill also means to get worse: ski downhill; go downhill. Downward is a close twin for direction without the slope; uphill is the opposite. Time the downhill section in the PE fixture, then the gradient. Mix-up: downhill vs down hill as two words; downfall; do not write downhill for a mild dip with no slope or decline in the source.

Meaning

Towards the bottom of a slope; go downhill also means to get worse.

Examples

• “Time the downhill section in the PE fixture, then the gradient, not a ski advert.”
• “Services went downhill after the cut, the inquiry said, which is the get-worse sense — still quote the £ figure.”

Good to know

go downhill; a downhill slope / race. Opposite: uphill. Close: downward. Trap: downfall. PE, geography, and evaluations. Down a slope, or getting worse — name the gradient or the cut.

Near in meaning

downward, declining, sloping

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