respiratory failure

British

noun

a condition in which the respiratory system is unable to provide an adequate supply of oxygen or to remove carbon dioxide efficiently

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

respiratory failure

Paul Reubens’ immediate cause of death was acute hypoxic respiratory failure, says his death certificate obtained by news outlets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

In one instance, it referred a case of impending respiratory failure to overnight evaluation instead of an ER.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026

Sarah McCubbin, 53, from Amesbury in Wiltshire, has asthma and suffered a type 2 respiratory failure, which causes dangerously low blood oxygen levels, three years ago.

From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2025

Misuse of Botox can cause drooping eyelids, blurred vision, headaches and, in rare cases, respiratory failure or paralysis.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025

She died at once from respiratory failure, in spite of restorative measures.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 1157, March 5, 1898 by Various

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023