failure
English
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman failer, from Old French faillir (“to fail”).
Pronunciation
- (Canada, General American) IPA(key): /ˈfeɪlˌjɚ/
Audio (CAN) (file)
Noun
failure (countable and uncountable, plural failures)
- State or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.
- 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:
- For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places.
- 2012 April 23, Angelique Chrisafis, “François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election”, in the Guardian:
- Sarkozy's total will be seen as a personal failure. It is the first time an outgoing president has failed to win a first-round vote in the past 50 years and makes it harder for Sarkozy to regain momentum.
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- An object, person or endeavour in a state of failure or incapable of success.
- Termination of the ability of an item to perform its required function; breakdown. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:
- Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.
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- Bankruptcy.
Synonyms
- (person incapable of success): loser
Related terms
Translations
state or condition opposite of success
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object or person incapable of success
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termination of the ability of an item to perform its required function
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