English Explanatory Dictionary

how the mighty have fallen

English dictionary entry

Meanings

phrase
  1. Used to imply the decline of a once-great person or entity.

Word forms

how the mighty have fallen how the mighty have fallen !

Etymology

The phrase originates in the Old Testament, 2 Samuel 1:19. The earliest version in English is found in the Great Bible, (1539): Oh howe are the myghtie ouerthrowen. The modern word fallen version is found in the King James Version, (1611) and is an expression of David's lament over Saul and Jonathan: The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!

Related words

the bigger they are, the harder they fall
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