malfunction
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has malfunctionedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have malfunctionedperfect
-
is malfunctioningprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am malfunctioningprogressive 1st person singular
-
are malfunctioningprogressive
-
has been malfunctioningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
have been malfunctioningperfect progressive
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malfunctionssingular 3rd person
-
malfunctioningparticiple
Past
-
had malfunctionedperfect
-
had been malfunctioningperfect progressive
-
was malfunctioningprogressive singular
-
malfunctionedsimple
-
were malfunctioningprogressive plural
-
malfunctionedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of malfunction
Explanation
To malfunction is to fail to work properly. If your toaster spits out a charred, smoky mess no matter what setting it’s on, your toaster is definitely malfunctioning. When something functions, it works. Adding the prefix -mal (meaning "bad") to function indicates bad or unsuccessful functioning. When a computer malfunctions, you could lose your data. A malfunctioning car could cause an accident or leave you stranded. This word is typically used in reference to technology, tools, and gadgets. However, if you make a stupid mistake, you might joke that your brain has malfunctioned.
Vocabulary lists containing malfunction
"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson" comes before us shouldering the burden of unreasonable expectations.
From Salon • Nov. 21, 2021
Q. Re: Wardrobe Malfunction: I think it would have been OK to say something.
From Slate • Aug. 24, 2015
The 12th Man always has been located in one place – Malfunction Junction.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 2, 2014
Malfunction on International Space Station may require spacewalk.
From Scientific American • Dec. 15, 2013
Malfunction is doing the right things wrong, something that Peter Drucker argued is quite fixable.
From Forbes • Sep. 16, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
