ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Failure

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈfeɪ.ljə/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Failure is a noun meaning State or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.

Meaning

State or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.

More Meanings

  1. Omission to do something, whether or not it was attempted, especially something that ought to have been done.
  2. An object, person or endeavour in a state of failure, has failed at something or incapable of success.
  3. Termination of the ability of an item to perform its required function; breakdown.
  4. Bankruptcy.

Example Sentences

But as with individual train failures you have to tackle every one as it arises and assume it will happen again, which it will, if you don't do something about it.
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.
What exactly is a "successful failure" in rocket science? A so-called "successful failure" is one where important lessons can be gleaned for future tests and where the risks of harm are low, experts say.
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.

Word Forms

Synonyms for failure

Depending on context, synonyms include fail, loser, nonstarter.

Antonyms for failure

Common opposites include success, triumph, achiever, winner.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include loser, nonstarter, failed, insufficient, lack, shortcoming.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.