fall · crash

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 墜 means falling downward; its on-reading is つい.
• Basic usage: 墜落(ついらく) means a crash or fall, while 失墜(しっつい) means a loss of credibility or authority.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An aircraft crashing and credibility collapsing
  • 畑へ墜落した means that something crashed into a field. 墜落 applies to a falling model airplane or a spacecraft in a story.
  • 信用が失墜した means that credibility collapsed. 失墜 describes a decline in social standing, such as trust or authority.