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

Jen Singer is a ghostwriter and editor who has survived cancer, a complete heart block, and heart failure.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

He died May 18 from heart failure, according to a statement Monday from 7-Eleven owner Seven & i.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

During that time, the incidence rates per 1,000 person-years were 21.4 for osteoarthritis, 21.1 for chronic kidney disease, 20.3 for obstructive sleep apnea, and 3.9 for heart failure.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

"I had heart failure, irregular heart beat, COPD, sleep apnoea," he said.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

But it isn’t hunger that drives millions of armed American males to forests and hills every autumn, as the high incidence of heart failure among the hunters will prove.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck