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1. Dictionary

   fail·ure

   /ˈfālyər/

   noun

   • 1. lack of success: "an economic policy that is doomed to failure" Similar lack of successnonsuccessnon-fulfillmentabortionmiscarriagedefeatfrustrationcollapsefounderingmisfiringcoming to nothingfalling throughinformal:fizzling outfiascodebaclecatastrophedisasterblundervain attemptabortiondefeatdamp squibinformal:flopbotchhashfoul-upscrewupwashoutletdowndead lossdead ducklead balloonlemonfailcock-uppig's earsnafuclinkervulgar slang:fuck-upballs-upOpposite successsuccess
   • ▪ an unsuccessful person, enterprise, or thing: "bad weather had resulted in crop failures" Similar loserborn loserincompetentnonachieverunderachieverne'er-do-welldisappointmentwrite-offno onenobodyinformal:no-hoperflopdudnonstarterwashoutdead losslemoninadequacyinsufficiencydeficiencylackdearthscarcityshortfallOpposite success
   • 2. the omission of expected or required action: "their failure to comply with the basic rules" Similar negligenceremissnessnonobservancenonperformancederelictionomissionneglectoversight
   • ▪ a lack or deficiency of a desirable quality: "a failure of imagination"
   • 3. the action or state of not functioning: "symptoms of heart failure" Similar breaking downbreakdownnonfunctioncutting outseizing upmalfunctionfaultinesscrashinformal:conking outplaying up
   • ▪ a sudden cessation of power: "a sudden power failure" Similar breaking downbreakdownnonfunctioncutting outseizing upmalfunctionfaultinesscrashinformal:conking outplaying up
   • ▪ the collapse of a business: "business failures rose by 53%" Similar collapsecrashgoing underbankruptcyinsolvencyliquidationclose-downclosureclosingshutting downwinding upterminationdeclinefailingfounderingsinkingruinruinationinformal:foldingflopOpposite success

   Word Origin mid 17th century (originally as failer, in the senses ‘non-occurrence’ and ‘cessation of supply’): from Anglo-Norman French failer for Old French faillir (see fail).

   Scrabble Points: 10

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2. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › failureFailure Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › failure

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   Learn the various meanings and uses of the word failure, from omission or inability to perform a duty or action, to lack of success or adequacy, to deterioration or decay. See synonyms, examples, word history, and related phrases of failure.

3. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishFAILURE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   Learn the meaning of failure as a noun in different contexts, such as lack of success, not doing something, or not working well. See synonyms, antonyms, and usage examples from the Cambridge Dictionary.

4. www.dictionary.com › browse › failureFAILURE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › failure

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   Failure is an act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; lack of success. It can also mean nonperformance, insufficiency, deterioration, bankruptcy, or a person or thing that is unsuccessful.

5. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › failureFailure - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › failure

   If you experience failure, things have not gone the way you'd hoped. I'm sorry to hear that your attempt to turn hay into gold has been a failure. Failure can also mean when something suddenly stops working or when you don't do something that you're expected to.

6. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishfailure - Oxford Learner's Dictionaries

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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   Learn the meaning, pronunciation and usage of the word failure in English. Find out the different types and contexts of failure, such as lack of success, not doing something, machine or body part failure, and business or crop failure.

7. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishFAILURE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   Learn the meaning of failure as a lack of success, a nonperformance, a decline, or a bankruptcy. See synonyms, pronunciation, and usage examples of failure in different contexts.

8. www.thefreedictionary.com › failureFailure - definition of failure by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › failure

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   Failure is the condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends, or of being insufficient or falling short. The web page provides various definitions of failure from different sources, as well as related words and phrases, and some examples of failure in literature and life.