Going Downhill.
English
idiom
Getting worse or declining.
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Getting worse or declining.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
Becoming progressively worse or deteriorating over time.
Something going downhill is declining in quality, condition, or performance — the slide feels inevitable and increasingly hard to reverse the longer it continues.
"Going South"
—
Going wrong or failing — going downhill implies a gradual decline; going south can be more sudden
"On the Decline"
—
More formal — going downhill feels more colloquial and suggests a visible, observable slide
"Going Downhill"
—
Gradually worsening or deteriorating in quality, condition, or performance
Customer satisfaction scores are dropping for the third quarter in a row.
It's been going downhill since we changed the support process. We need to revisit that decision.
I'm worried about my dad. He seems different lately.
I've noticed too. Things seem to be going downhill slowly. Have you spoken to his doctor?
When did you realise the restaurant was in trouble?
Gradually. Tables emptying earlier, fewer bookings. By the time we admitted it was going downhill, it was too late.
