how the mighty have fallen

phrase

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

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Meanings

phrasehow the mighty have fallen!
  1. Used to imply the decline of a once-great person or entity.

Origin

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!

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish kuinka ovatkaan sankarit kaatuneet
  • kuinka ovatkaan sankarit kaatuneetproverb
French ce n'est plus ce que c'était
  • ce n'est plus ce que c'étaitproverb
Hebrew אֵיךְ נָפְלוּ גִבּוֹרִים
  • אֵיךְ נָפְלוּ גִבּוֹרִים (ech naflú gibborím)proverb
Polish jak potężny upada
  • jak potężny upadaproverb
Spanish quién te ha visto y quién te ve
  • quién te ha visto y quién te veproverb
Cite this entry
APA

how the mighty have fallen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20the%20mighty%20have%20fallen

MLA

“how the mighty have fallen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20the%20mighty%20have%20fallen. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “how the mighty have fallen,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20the%20mighty%20have%20fallen.

Source: how the mighty have fallen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.