how the mighty have fallen
A remark on the dramatic downfall of someone once powerful or admired.
“The champion lost in the first round — how the mighty have fallen.”
“Once the biggest firm in the city, it was now selling off its offices; how the mighty have fallen.”
“The executive who had once kept ministers waiting was reduced to answering questions from a committee that plainly no longer feared him, and more than one reporter in the gallery was thinking how the mighty have fallen.”
The words are from David's lament in 2 Samuel 1, at verses 19 and 25, mourning King Saul and his son Jonathan after they fall in battle: how are the mighty fallen. The line is a genuine cry of grief for great men brought low, spoken by someone who loved them.
Torn from that setting, the phrase has taken on a cooler and sometimes sardonic tone, well suited to marking any spectacular collapse of the once-formidable.
In English how the mighty have fallen is now said as often with a hint of satisfaction as with sorrow, noting the humbling of the powerful, the celebrated, or simply anyone who had grown a little too pleased with themselves.
The rise and fall of kings and the warnings of the prophets.
- 01
David and Goliath (idiom)
A contest in which a much weaker underdog faces a far stronger opponent.
- 02
the writing on the wall (idiom)
A clear sign that something, especially failure or disaster, is on its way.
- 03
feet of clay (idiom)
In someone apparently strong and without failings, a hidden weakness which could lead to downfall.
- 04
a drop in the bucket (idiom)
A quantity so small it is negligible next to what is actually needed.
- 05
a leopard cannot change its spots (idiom)
People rarely change their fundamental nature, however much they may seem to.
- 06
a still small voice (idiom)
A quiet inner prompting of conscience or intuition.
Last updated July 29, 2026