heart failure

American  

noun

1. a condition in which the heart fatally ceases to function.

2. Also called congestive heart failure.  a condition in which the heart fails to pump adequate amounts of blood to the tissues, resulting in accumulation of blood returning to the heart from the veins, and often accompanied by distension of the ventricles, edema, and shortness of breath.

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heart failure British  

noun

1. a condition in which the heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood to the tissues, usually resulting in breathlessness, swollen ankles, etc

2. sudden and permanent cessation of the heartbeat, resulting in death

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heart failure Scientific  

1. An acute or chronic inability of the heart to maintain adequate blood circulation to the peripheral tissues and the lungs, usually characterized by fatigue, edema, and shortness of breath. Heart failure has many causes, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy.

2. Also called congestive heart failure

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Etymology

Origin of heart failure

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heart failure

A heart transplant is currently the only cure for heart failure.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026

Instead, I’ve been looking at plane tickets, researching heart failure and ordering groceries that, at first, didn’t make much sense together: zucchini, canned pumpkin, chocolate chunks, sticks of cold salted butter.

From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026

This includes congestive heart failure and kidney and liver failure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

The actor’s family said in a statement to TMZ that Michael Wright died on Wednesday in Los Angeles from apparent heart failure and complications associated with Marchiafava-Bignami, a rare and progressive neurological disorder.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

And we get sick if the milk delivery is late and nearly die of heart failure if there is an elevator strike.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck