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

If he was diagnosed with a severe form of cancer or heart failure, Eggerman said he would “take the first exit ramp off that Mother Nature gives me.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Individuals with a history of end-stage renal disease or congestive heart failure were excluded from the analysis.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

His daughter Lua Crofts Faragher told the New York Times the cause of death was heart failure.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

In addition, their risk of heart attack dropped by 32%, stroke by 25%, and heart failure by 25%.

From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2026

The announcement in the paper states that Hector Bowen, better known as Prospero the Enchanter, entertainer and stage magician of great renown, died of heart failure in his home on the fifteenth of March.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern