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fail·ure (f l y r)n.1. The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends: the failure of an experiment. 2. One that fails: a failure at one's career. 3. The condition or fact of being insufficient or falling short: a crop failure. 4. A cessation of proper functioning or performance: a power failure. 5. Nonperformance of what is requested or expected; omission: failure to report a change of address. 6. The act or fact of failing to pass a course, test, or assignment. 7. A decline in strength or effectiveness. 8. The act or fact of becoming bankrupt or insolvent.
[Alteration of failer, default, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French faillir, to fail; see fail.] |
failure Noun 1. the act or an instance of failing 2. someone or something that is unsuccessful: he couldn't help but regard his own son as a failure 3. the fact of something required or expected not being done or not happening: his failure to appear at the meeting 4. a halt in normal operation: heart failure 5. a decline or loss of something: crop failure 6. the fact of not reaching the required standard in an examination or test
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | failure - an act that fails; "his failure to pass the test"flunk, failing - failure to reach a minimum required performance; "his failing the course led to his disqualification"; "he got two flunks on his report" naught - complete failure; "all my efforts led to naught" loss - the act of losing someone or something; "everyone expected him to win so his loss was a shock" misplay, error - (baseball) a failure of a defensive player to make an out when normal play would have sufficed out - (baseball) a failure by a batter or runner to reach a base safely in baseball; "you only get 3 outs per inning" | | 2. | failure - an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose; "the surprise party was a complete failure"flame-out - a complete or conspicuous failure; "the spectacular flame-out of the company's stock cost many people their life savings" defeat, licking - an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest; "it was a narrow defeat"; "the army's only defeat"; "they suffered a convincing licking" success - an event that accomplishes its intended purpose; "let's call heads a success and tails a failure"; "the election was a remarkable success for the Whigs" | | 3. | failure - lack of success; "he felt that his entire life had been a failure"; "that year there was a crop failure"circumstances, luck, destiny, fate, fortune, lot, portion - your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you); "whatever my fortune may be"; "deserved a better fate"; "has a happy lot"; "the luck of the Irish"; "a victim of circumstances"; "success that was her portion" bankruptcy - a state of complete lack of some abstract property; "spiritual bankruptcy"; "moral bankruptcy"; "intellectual bankruptcy" bank failure - the inability of a bank to meet its credit obligations crop failure - the failure of crops to produce a marketable surplus dead duck - something doomed to failure; "he finally admitted that the legislation was a dead duck"; "the idea of another TV channel is now a dead duck"; "as theories go, that's a dead duck" success - a state of prosperity or fame; "he is enjoying great success"; "he does not consider wealth synonymous with success" | | 4. | failure - a person with a record of failing; someone who loses consistentlyunderdog - one at a disadvantage and expected to lose | | 5. | failure - an unexpected omission; "he resented my failure to return his call"; "the mechanic's failure to check the brakes"breach - a failure to perform some promised act or obligation copout - a failure to face some difficulty squarely | | 6. | failure - inability to discharge all your debts as they come due; "the company had to declare bankruptcy"; "fraudulent loans led to the failure of many banks" | | 7. | failure - loss of ability to function normally; "kidney failure"disorder, upset - a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning; "the doctor prescribed some medicine for the disorder"; "everyone gets stomach upsets from time to time" |
failure noun 1. lack of success, defeat, collapse, abortion, wreck, frustration, breakdown, overthrow, miscarriage, fiasco, downfall << OPPOSITE success noun 3. negligence, neglect, deficiency, default, shortcoming, omission, oversight, dereliction, nonperformance, nonobservance, nonsuccess, remissness << OPPOSITE observance
Translationsfailure [ˈfeɪljəʳ] n → fracaso; (person) → fracasado/a; ( mechanical etc) → fallo; failure [ˈfeɪljəʳ] fail n → échec m (= person); raté(e); failure [ˈfeɪljəʳ] fail n → Misserfolg m; his failure to turn up meant that we had to ... fail → weil er nicht kam, mussten wir ...;
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