failure

American  

[feyl-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

When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz finally rose to power in May 2025 after years of political failure and an inconclusive election, he already faced what looked like an impossible situation.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

Macs Green, a previously "completely healthy baby" suffered two cardiac arrests and was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy - which can lead to heart failure.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

By the early 2000s, he was managing hedge funds again, doing well, but also well aware that while he might be able to come back from failure this time, he better not fail again.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The regulator has received nearly 500 complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles that had already been serviced under recall, including nearly two dozen that required complete engine replacements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Each failure made it more likely that she would fail, too.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

"So there was hundreds of trials. We had many, many failures," said Juliana Cumming, a PhD student at the university and co-creator of the "Bioloon", a 100-percent biodegradable balloon.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

Notwithstanding "serious failures" in the process that led to the killings, "the decisions of the commanders did not raise reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct," the IDF said.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Federal auto-safety regulators are opening an investigation into nearly one million General Motors GM 1.28%increase; green up pointing triangle pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles after receiving hundreds of reports of engine failures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The deadly weather front in February of 2021 meant multiple deaths, massive power grid failures, freezing temperatures and water shortages for millions of Texans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Her text discussed the metamorphosis of more than fifty moths and butterflies, describing the timing of each phase, her repeated experiments and failures, and any other interesting insect behavior she had observed.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

Related Words

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