downhill

From down- +‎ hill.

• (adjective, noun) IPA^(key): /ˈdaʊnˌhɪl/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• IPA^(key): (adverb) /ˌdaʊnˈhɪl/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪl

downhill (comparative farther or further downhill, superlative farthest or furthest downhill)

1. Down a slope.

   Synonym: downslope

   Because we got to the summit of the mountain, we could only go downhill from there.

   • 2006, Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma, The Penguin Press, →ISBN, page 388:

     I worked my way downhill, slip sliding in the mud along a steep embankment that followed a stream until it emptied into a creek.

2. (by extension) So as to deteriorate or get worse.

   Hyponyms: down the drain, down the tubes; down the toilet (crude)

   After Don made those tasteless remarks, our relationship with him went downhill.

• uphill

downhill (comparative further downhill, superlative furthest downhill)

1. Located towards or at the bottom of a slope or hill.

   Moraines are found at the downhill end of a glacier.

2. Going down a slope or a hill.

   This year's race is on a downhill course.

   • 1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 706:

     It was nearly all downhill into Shrewsbury, with two intermediate stops, and a grand sequence of long curves around which Soult nuzzled her way with a quick side-to-side action.

3. (by extension) Easy.

   That's the hard part of the job done. From now on it's downhill all the way.

• "Easy" sense: comparative and superlative are usually made with more and most.

• uphill

downhill (countable and uncountable, plural downhills)

1. (uncountable) The fastest of the disciplines of alpine skiing.
2. (countable) A rapid descent of a hill in related sports, especially in alpine skiing.

downhill (third-person singular simple present downhills, present participle downhilling, simple past and past participle downhilled)

1. To take part in downhill skiing.

downhill m (plural downhills)

1. downhill (skiing)