faulty
Americanadjective
adjective
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defective or imperfect
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archaic culpable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of faulty
First recorded in 1300–50, faulty is from the Middle English word fauty. See fault, -y 1
Explanation
Something that's faulty is full of mistakes — it's wrong. Faulty logic often leads people to make terrible decisions, since they're based on an incorrect way of thinking. A faulty explanation is based on errors, and a faulty machine doesn't work the way it's supposed to. If your chocolate chip cookies keep coming out burned, your stove may be faulty — or you may be baking them too long. If your car's brakes are faulty, it won't stop as quickly as it should, and if your furnace is faulty, it will be a long, cold winter. Faulty and fail share a common Latin root word.
Vocabulary lists containing faulty
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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Drama
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Way Off: Synonyms for "Wrong"
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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.
In April 2024, it announced it had reached a $1.1 billion deal to settle US lawsuits over the faulty machines.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
He is asking for forgiveness for backing a faulty product, while also claiming to be a victim of its beguiling charms.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Some say they are turned off not only by the U.S.’s hardening immigration enforcement, but also by its faulty infrastructure, gun violence and living costs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
But they insisted that the platforms themselves negligently enabled this harm through faulty design of their services.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
A radio with a faulty connection played loud and rasping for a while, then suddenly quiet and insinuating.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
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.
