Meaning & use
fall from grace
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Meaning
phraseidiomfigurative
A loss of someone's good reputation, status or favor after they do something wrong or fail publicly.
Grammar: Verb is fall; the person is the subject: he fell from grace.
Patterns
- someone's fall from grace
- fall from grace
The famous athlete's fall from grace shocked his fans.
After the scandal, the mayor fell from grace very quickly.
Her fall from grace began when the lies were exposed.
Common combinations
- a dramatic fall from grace
- The CEO suffered a dramatic fall from grace.
- someone's fall from grace
- The book describes the singer's fall from grace.
- fall from grace
- Politicians who lie often fall from grace.
- fall from grace after
- The coach fell from grace after the cheating scandal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disgrace
- Disgrace is a state of shame itself, while fall from grace stresses the drop from a high position.
- downfall
- Downfall can come from many causes, but a fall from grace is tied to losing approval after wrongdoing.
- decline
- Decline is gradual and neutral, whereas a fall from grace is usually sudden and public.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: fall from grace or falling out?
fall from grace vs falling out
A falling out is an argument between friends; a fall from grace is losing reputation or status.
Practice
Which situation best shows a fall from grace?
Choose one answer.
The idiom means a drop from a respected position after wrongdoing. Tripping literally falls but has nothing to do with reputation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fall from grace”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.