heart failure

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.

heart failure

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

heart failure

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of heart failure¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

“To Absent Friends” draws its title from a favorite Welty toast, a gesture that surely acquired special poignancy after Lyell died of congestive heart failure.

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As a result, the remaining muscle must work harder over time, which can contribute to heart failure.

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The research team enrolled 523 people diagnosed with arrhythmias, some of whom also had heart failure.

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"Mitochondrial problems show up in so many diseases -- heart failure, diabetes, fatty liver disease," Summers says.

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A fit and healthy young man, he had ambitions of joining the Royal Marines but he suffered acute heart failure in 2019.

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