failure

fail-ure · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    Lack of success in achieving a goal.

  2. 2.

    A person or thing that does not succeed.

  3. 3.

    The action or state of not functioning properly.

  4. 4.

    The neglect or omission of an expected action.

Forms

plural: failures

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    heart failure — the inability of the heart to pump blood effectively
  • •
    failure to launch — the inability of a young adult to become independent
  • •
    doomed to failure — certain to fail

Related words

Antonyms: achievement, success, triumph
See also: defeat, fail, failed, success
Synonyms: breakdown, collapse, defeat, fiasco

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman French failer (verb used as noun), from Old French faillir meaning "to fail," from Vulgar Latin fallire, from Latin fallere meaning "to deceive."