downhill

views updated Jun 11 2018

down·hill / ˈdounˈhil/ • adv. toward the bottom of a slope: he ran downhill | follow the road downhill. ∎ fig. into a steadily worsening situation: his marriage continued to slide downhill. ∎  fig. used to describe easy or quick progress toward an objective after initial difficulties have been overcome: up by six runs in the eighth inning—it should have been downhill all the way.• adj. leading down toward the bottom of a slope: the route is downhill for part of the way. ∎ fig. leading to a steadily worsening situation: the downhill road to delinquency. ∎ fig. without difficulty or challenge: we can take the easy road, the downhill road, or we can put America on the path to greatness again. ∎  of or relating to the sport of skiing or cycling downhill: the world downhill champion.• n. 1. a downward slope.2. Skiing a downhill race. ∎  the activity of downhill skiing.PHRASES: go downhill become worse; deteriorate: the business is going downhill fast.

More From encyclopedia.com