failure

American  

[fayl-yer] / ˈfeɪl jər /

noun

• failures
  plural

1. an act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; lack of success.

   His effort ended in failure.

   The campaign was a failure.

2. nonperformance of something due, required, or expected.

   a failure to do what one has promised;

   a failure to appear.

3. a subnormal quantity or quality; an insufficiency.

   the failure of crops.

4. deterioration or decay, especially of vigor, strength, etc..

   The failure of her health made retirement necessary.

5. a condition of being bankrupt by reason of insolvency.

6. a becoming insolvent or bankrupt.

   the failure of a bank.

7. a person or thing that proves unsuccessful.

   He is a failure in his career.

   The cake is a failure.

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failure British  

/ ˈfeɪljə /

noun

1. the act or an instance of failing

2. a person or thing that is unsuccessful or disappointing

   the evening was a failure

3. nonperformance of something required or expected

   failure to attend will be punished

4. cessation of normal operation; breakdown

   a power failure

5. an insufficiency or shortage

   a crop failure

6. a decline or loss, as in health or strength

7. the fact of not reaching the required standard in an examination, test, course, etc

8. the act or process of becoming bankrupt or the state of being bankrupt

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfailure
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• failures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of failure

First recorded in 1635–45; fail + -ure; replacing failer “a fault, default,” from Anglo-French (noun use of infinitive), for Old French faillir

Explanation

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. A power failure might create an opportunity for a romantic candlelight dinner. Your failure to pay the electric bill may lead to a lot of romantic candlelight dinners, as long as you at least paid the gas bill. Someone who has no success in life a failure, as is an effort that doesn't work like your failure of a presidential campaign.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

failure failures

The 28-year-old qualified in eighth but was heading for a podium finish before an engine failure forced him to retire from third place with five laps remaining.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Legal experts have said the failure rate raised concerns about the strength of the cases being brought by First Assistant U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

The U.S. has warned Moscow that its failure to disclose details about the death of a lab worker from a plague research center in Siberia runs counter to its international health obligations, U.S. officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

"The failure of Shenzhen Qingcheng to respond to the OAIC's inquiries raises concerns about the entity's practices, procedures and systems to protect the personal information it holds," she added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

Convinced he was destined for greatness, Charles always chose the easiest path possible, which brought failure at almost everything he did.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

“We should care about this because societies where people feel lonely and isolated — those are societal failures that are up to all of us to address.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

A Wall Street Journal investigation found repeated compliance failures, fraud attacks and software glitches inside Polymarket, the highflying prediction market company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

In a report following the first phase of the inquiry, chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick condemned LFB's "serious shortcomings" and systemic failures in its response to the fire.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

“These are my failures, and I take responsibility for them.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

But lesser failures of coherence are among the commonest flaws in writing.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• bankruptcy
• breakdown
• collapse
• decline
• defeat
• deficiency
• deterioration
• failing
• loss
• misstep