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Failure synonyms

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abortion
Any deliberate procedure that removes, or induces the expulsion of, a dead embryo or fetus or a living embryo or fetus with the purpose of causing its death
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  1. Any deliberate procedure that removes, or induces the expulsion of, a dead embryo or fetus or a living embryo or fetus with the purpose of causing its death
  2. Anything immature and incomplete or unsuccessful, as a deformed creature, a badly developed plan, etc.
  3. Something that is regarded as poorly made or done.
crash
Starched reinforced fabric used to strengthen a book binding or the spine of a bound book.
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  1. Starched reinforced fabric used to strengthen a book binding or the spine of a bound book.
  2. (Computers) A sudden failure of a hard drive caused by damaging contact between the head and the storage surface, often resulting in the loss of data on the drive.
  3. A sudden failure of a program or operating system, usually without serious consequences.
fizzle
A failure.
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  1. A failure.
  2. (Informal) An attempt that ends in failure
fiasco
A bottle; esp., a long-necked wine bottle with a rounded lower portion covered in woven straw
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  1. A bottle; esp., a long-necked wine bottle with a rounded lower portion covered in woven straw
  2. A complete failure; esp., an ambitious project that ends as a ridiculous failure
misadventure
An unlucky accident; mishap; an instance of bad luck
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  1. An unlucky accident; mishap; an instance of bad luck
  2. An accident or unlucky event.
  3. (Eng. Law) Death caused accidentally by someone while performing a legal act and with no intent to injure
bankruptcy
Complete failure; ruin
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  1. Complete failure; ruin
  2. The system of adjudication that declares instances of bankruptcy:
  3. A legally declared or recognized condition of insolvency of a person or organization.
insolvency
The condition of having more debts than assets.
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  1. The condition of having more debts than assets.
  2. The status of being unable to pay one’s debts when due. The status of being unable to pay one’s debts when due.
  3. The condition of being insolvent; the state or condition of a person who is insolvent; the condition of one who is unable to pay his debts as they fall due, or in the usual course of trade and business; as, a merchant's insolvency.
miscarriage
Bad administration; mismanagement:
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  1. Bad administration; mismanagement:
  2. Failure of mail, freight, etc. to reach its destination
  3. The premature, spontaneous expulsion of the products of pregnancy from the uterus, usually in the first trimester.
botch
(Brit., Dial.) A boil, sore, or ulcer
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  1. (Brit., Dial.) A boil, sore, or ulcer
  2. A badly patched place or part
  3. A ruined or defective piece of work:
bungle
A bungling, or clumsy, act
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  1. A bungling, or clumsy, act
  2. A clumsy or inept performance; a botch:
  3. A bungled piece of work
frustration
The act of preventing the accomplishment or fulfillment of something:
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  1. The act of preventing the accomplishment or fulfillment of something:
  2. Contract law: an inability to carry out a contract or perform a term of the contract due to supervening circumstances beyond the parties’ control, such as an event of force majeure. Contract law: an inability to carry out a contract or perform a term of the contract due to supervening circumstances beyond the parties’ control, such as an event of force majeure.
  3. The feeling or state of being frustrated:
misstep
A mistake in conduct; faux pas
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  1. A mistake in conduct; faux pas
  2. A step that is wrong, a false step.
  3. (Figuratively) An error or mistake.
false-step
A social blunder
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  1. A social blunder
  2. A misstep; a stumble.
  3. (Idiomatic) An erroneous action or decision.
faux-pas
A social blunder.
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  1. A social blunder.
  2. A social blunder; error in etiquette; tactless act or remark
  3. An embarrassing or tactless blunder (especially used in social situations and contexts); a misstep.
breakdown
A popular dance originating in the early 1970s, performed to funk music.
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  1. A popular dance originating in the early 1970s, performed to funk music.
  2. The act or process of failing to function or continue.
  3. A failure to work or function properly
malfunction
The act or an instance of malfunctioning
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  1. The act or an instance of malfunctioning
  2. A failure to function properly.
checkmate
The condition of the king after such a move
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  1. The condition of the king after such a move
  2. (Chess) The move that wins the game by checking the opponent's king so that it cannot be protected
  3. Complete defeat, frustration, etc.
stoppage
A pause or halt of some activity.
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  1. A pause or halt of some activity.
  2. Something that forms an obstacle to continued activity, a blockage.
  3. The act of stopping or the condition of being stopped; a halt:
collapse
An abrupt failure of function, strength, or health; a breakdown.
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  1. An abrupt failure of function, strength, or health; a breakdown.
  2. The act of collapsing; a falling in or together; failure or breakdown, as in business or health
  3. An abrupt loss of perceived value or of effect:
rupture
The process of breaking open or bursting.
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  1. The process of breaking open or bursting.
  2. A break in friendly relations.
  3. A breaking off of friendly or peaceful relations, as between countries or individuals
defeat
The fact of being defeated
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  1. The fact of being defeated
  2. The state of being defeated; failure to win:
  3. A coming to naught; frustration:
rout
An overwhelming defeat
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  1. An overwhelming defeat
  2. A disorderly flight or retreat, as of defeated troops
  3. (Archaic) A group of people, especially knights, or of animals, especially wolves.
overthrow
(Sports) A throw that goes too far.
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  1. (Sports) A throw that goes too far.
  2. (Sports) The throwing of a ball over and beyond a target, especially in baseball.
  3. An instance of overthrowing, especially one that results in downfall or destruction.
downfall
A sudden fall, as from prosperity or power
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  1. A sudden fall, as from prosperity or power
  2. A cause of ruin:
  3. A fall of rain or snow, especially a heavy or unexpected one.
implosion
The inrush of air in forming a suction stop.
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  1. The inrush of air in forming a suction stop.
  2. The act or action of bringing to or as if to a center.
  3. The act or an instance of imploding; specif., in phonetics, the sudden rush of air into the pharynx that occurs in the articulation of certain stops found esp. in some African languages
total loss
(Accounting) An insured item of which the entire value is written off
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  1. (Accounting) An insured item of which the entire value is written off
  2. An insurance contract concept that is said to exist if property is destroyed to the extent as to be no longer useful for the purpose for which it was intended, or that renders it useless and of no value to its owner. An insurance contract concept that is said to exist if property is destroyed to the extent as to be no longer useful for the purpose for which it was intended, or that renders it useless and of no value to its owner.
stalemate
Any situation that has no obvious possible movement, but does not involve any personal loss.
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  1. Any situation that has no obvious possible movement, but does not involve any personal loss.
  2. Any unresolved situation in which further action is impossible or useless; deadlock; draw
  3. A drawing position in chess in which the king, although not in check, can move only into check and no other piece can move.
negligence
Carelessness in manner or appearance; indifference
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  1. Carelessness in manner or appearance; indifference
  2. Habitual failure to do the required thing
  3. (Law) Failure to use a reasonable amount of care when such failure results in injury or damage to another
omission
An omitting or being omitted; specif., failure to do as one should
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  1. An omitting or being omitted; specif., failure to do as one should
  2. The act of leaving something out or not done. An omission may be deliberate or unintentional.
  3. The act of neglecting to do something required by law; especially one’s duty.
dereliction
The committing of a breach, typically of a duty.
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  1. The committing of a breach, typically of a duty.
  2. The act of abandoning something, or the state of being abandoned
  3. An increase in land caused by the recession of sea, river, or other body of water formerly covering it. Ownership is a function of how rapidly the water receded. See also reliction.
no-go
(Informal, slang, US, with indefinite article) something which should not or cannot be done
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  1. (Informal, slang, US, with indefinite article) something which should not or cannot be done
  2. Alternative form of no go.
  3. A situation in which planned operations cannot be effectuated, as in the case of the launch of spacecraft:
flop
The act or sound of flopping
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  1. The act or sound of flopping
  2. The sound made when flopping.
  3. In certain poker games, the first three community cards that are dealt face up at the same time.
turkey
Any of a family (Meleagrididae) of large, gallinaceous North American birds with a small, naked head and a tail that can be spread like a fan, including a wild or domesticated species (Meleagris gallopavo) bred as poultry and a wild species (Agriocharis ocellata) of Central America, with eyespots on the tail
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  1. Any of a family (Meleagrididae) of large, gallinaceous North American birds with a small, naked head and a tail that can be spread like a fan, including a wild or domesticated species (Meleagris gallopavo) bred as poultry and a wild species (Agriocharis ocellata) of Central America, with eyespots on the tail
  2. A failure, especially a failed theatrical production or movie.
  3. The flesh of this bird, used as food.
clinker
(Slang) A mistake or error; often, specif., a misplayed musical note
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  1. (Slang) A mistake or error; often, specif., a misplayed musical note
  2. Something of inferior quality; a conspicuous failure:
  3. (Nautical) A style of boatbuilding using overlapping planks; used chiefly attributively in terms such as clinker planking, clinker dinghy etc.
loser
A person who is unable to be successful on a sustained basis:
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  1. A person who is unable to be successful on a sustained basis:
  2. A person who takes loss in a specified way:
  3. One that is bad in quality:
bust
A person or thing that is a total failure
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  1. A person or thing that is a total failure
  2. A piece of sculpture representing the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a human body
  3. A time or period of widespread financial depression:
dud
A bomb, shell, or explosive round that fails to detonate.
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  1. A bomb, shell, or explosive round that fails to detonate.
  2. A person or thing that fails or is ineffectual
  3. (Informal) One that is disappointingly ineffective or unsuccessful.
washout
One who fails to measure up to a standard, especially one who fails a course of training or study.
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  1. One who fails to measure up to a standard, especially one who fails a course of training or study.
  2. A hole or gap made by such washing away, as in a railroad bed
  3. An event or action that fails, is canceled, or ends prematurely, often because of rainy weather.
dog
Any of a large and varied group of domesticated canines (Canis familiaris) often kept as a house pet or used for hunting, guarding people or property, etc.
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  1. Any of a large and varied group of domesticated canines (Canis familiaris) often kept as a house pet or used for hunting, guarding people or property, etc.
  2. A person regarded as contemptible:
  3. A prairie dog, dogfish, or other animal thought to resemble a dog
bomb
A long home run in baseball
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  1. A long home run in baseball
  2. An explosive weapon detonated by impact, proximity to an object, a timing mechanism, or other means.
  3. (Slang) One that is excellent or superior. Used with the.
bummer
(Slang) An adverse reaction to a hallucinogenic drug.
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  1. (Slang) An adverse reaction to a hallucinogenic drug.
  2. (Slang) Any unpleasant or unsatisfactory thing or experience
  3. (Slang) One that depresses, frustrates, or disappoints:
lead balloon
A complete failure; a flop.
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  1. A complete failure; a flop.
lemon
(Informal) One that is unsatisfactory or defective:
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  1. (Informal) One that is unsatisfactory or defective:
  2. (Informal) Something, esp. a manufactured article, that is defective or imperfect
  3. An inadequate person
sinking-ship
(Idiomatic) Something which is doomed; a lost cause; an impending debacle; an ongoing disaster.
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  1. (Idiomatic) Something which is doomed; a lost cause; an impending debacle; an ongoing disaster.
mess
One that is in such a condition:
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  1. One that is in such a condition:
  2. A serving of soft, semiliquid food:
  3. An amount of food, as for a meal, course, or dish:
non-starter
A horse that does not run in a race for which it has been entered
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  1. A horse that does not run in a race for which it has been entered
  2. Someone or something who was listed to start in a race, but did not start in the race.
  3. (Informal) A course, project, etc. regarded as having no chance of success or acceptance
incompetent
A person who is incompetent.
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  1. A person who is incompetent.
  2. An incompetent person; esp., one who is mentally deficient
defaulter
One who fails to fulfill an obligation or perform a task, especially a legal or financial one.
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  1. One who fails to fulfill an obligation or perform a task, especially a legal or financial one.
nonperformer
Someone who is not a performer
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  1. Someone who is not a performer
underachiever
One who underachieves by performing less well than expected.
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  1. One who underachieves by performing less well than expected.
ne'er-do-well
A person who is up to no good; a rogue.
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  1. A person who is up to no good; a rogue.
  2. A person without a means of support; an idle, worthless person; a loafer; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; a good-for-nothing.
scapegrace
A scoundrel; a rascal.
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  1. A scoundrel; a rascal.
  2. A graceless, unprincipled fellow; scamp; rogue; rascal
  3. A wild and reckless person (especially a boy); a scoundrel.
prodigal
A person who wastes his means; spendthrift
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  1. A person who wastes his means; spendthrift
  2. One who is given to wasteful luxury or extravagance.
bankrupt
A person (or entity) who has filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy or against whom an involuntary petition for bankruptcy has been filed. See also debtor.
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  1. A person (or entity) who has filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy or against whom an involuntary petition for bankruptcy has been filed. See also debtor.
  2. A person who lacks a certain quality or has failed completely in some way
  3. A person legally declared unable to pay his or her debts: the property of a bankrupt is administered for the benefit of his or her creditors and divided among them
derelict
(Law) Abandoned property, especially a ship abandoned at sea.
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  1. (Law) Abandoned property, especially a ship abandoned at sea.
  2. Land left dry by a permanent recession of the water line.
  3. A destitute person, without a home or regular job and rejected by society
castaway
A discarded person or thing.
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  1. A discarded person or thing.
  2. An outcast; someone cast out of a group or society.
  3. (Nautical) A shipwrecked sailor.
beachcomber
A person who loafs on beaches or wharves, typically on a South Sea island, living on what he or she can beg or find
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  1. A person who loafs on beaches or wharves, typically on a South Sea island, living on what he or she can beg or find
  2. One who scavenges along beaches or in wharf areas.
  3. A person who spends time on a beach looking for lost or discarded items, natural specimens, etc. that are useful or interesting
loser
A person who is unable to be successful on a sustained basis:
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  1. A person who is unable to be successful on a sustained basis:
  2. A person who takes loss in a specified way:
  3. One that is bad in quality:
turkey
A country of southwest Asia and southeast Europe between the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The region was dominated by many ancient civilizations and peoples, among them the Hittites (1800 bc ), the Greeks (8th century bc ), and the Persians (6th century bc ), and in ad 395 it became part of the Byzantine Empire. The area was conquered by the Ottoman Turks between the 13th and 15th centuries and remained the core of the Ottoman Empire for more than 600 years. Its modern history dates to the rise of the Young Turks (after 1908) and the collapse of the empire in 1918. Under the leadership of Kemal Atatürk, a republic was proclaimed in 1923. Ankara is the capital and Istanbul the largest city.
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  1. A country of southwest Asia and southeast Europe between the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The region was dominated by many ancient civilizations and peoples, among them the Hittites (1800 bc ), the Greeks (8th century bc ), and the Persians (6th century bc ), and in ad 395 it became part of the Byzantine Empire. The area was conquered by the Ottoman Turks between the 13th and 15th centuries and remained the core of the Ottoman Empire for more than 600 years. Its modern history dates to the rise of the Young Turks (after 1908) and the collapse of the empire in 1918. Under the leadership of Kemal Atatürk, a republic was proclaimed in 1923. Ankara is the capital and Istanbul the largest city.
  2. Any of a family (Meleagrididae) of large, gallinaceous North American birds with a small, naked head and a tail that can be spread like a fan, including a wild or domesticated species (Meleagris gallopavo) bred as poultry and a wild species (Agriocharis ocellata) of Central America, with eyespots on the tail
  3. The flesh of a turkey
dead-duck
One doomed to failure or to death.
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  1. One doomed to failure or to death.
  2. (Slang) A person or thing that is ruined or certain to suffer ruin, failure, or death; goner
has-been
(Pejorative) A person, especially one formerly popular or influential, who continues in their field after their popularity or effectiveness has peaked and is now in decline.
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  1. (Pejorative) A person, especially one formerly popular or influential, who continues in their field after their popularity or effectiveness has peaked and is now in decline.
also-ran
A horse that fails to finish first, second, or third in a race
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  1. A horse that fails to finish first, second, or third in a race
  2. (Informal) Any loser in any competition
  3. One that has little talent or success:
lemon
Lemon yellow.
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  1. Lemon yellow.
  2. The small, spiny, semitropical evergreen citrus tree (Citrus limon) bearing this fruit
  3. A spiny evergreen tree (Citrus limon) native to Asia, widely cultivated for its oval yellow fruit.
flop
The act or sound of flopping
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  1. The act or sound of flopping
  2. The sound made when flopping.
  3. In certain poker games, the first three community cards that are dealt face up at the same time.
bum
An incompetent, insignificant, or obnoxious person:
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  1. An incompetent, insignificant, or obnoxious person:
  2. A devotee, as of golf or skiing, who devotes so much time to the sport as to disrupt family life, career, etc.
  3. A lazy or shiftless person, especially one who seeks to live solely by the support of others.
no-account
A shiftless person
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  1. A shiftless person
dud
A person or thing that fails or is ineffectual
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  1. A person or thing that fails or is ineffectual
  2. A bomb, shell, or explosive round that fails to detonate.
  3. (Informal) One that is disappointingly ineffective or unsuccessful.
schlemiel
A habitual bungler; a dolt.
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  1. A habitual bungler; a dolt.
  2. (Slang) An ineffectual, bungling person who habitually fails or is easily victimized
unsuccess
Failure to achieve a desired end.
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  1. Failure to achieve a desired end.
  2. A lack of success
unsuccessfulness
The state or condition of being unsuccessful.
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  1. The state or condition of being unsuccessful.
bust
A piece of sculpture representing the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a human body
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  1. A piece of sculpture representing the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a human body
  2. A woman's breasts.
  3. (Informal) A spree:
fiasco
A complete failure; esp., an ambitious project that ends as a ridiculous failure
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  1. A complete failure; esp., an ambitious project that ends as a ridiculous failure
  2. A bottle; esp., a long-necked wine bottle with a rounded lower portion covered in woven straw
loser
(Slang) A person who has been imprisoned for crime a (specified) number of times
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  1. (Slang) A person who has been imprisoned for crime a (specified) number of times
  2. A person who takes loss in a specified way:
  3. One that loses opportunities or advantages:
washout
A hole or gap made by such washing away, as in a railroad bed
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  1. A hole or gap made by such washing away, as in a railroad bed
  2. An event or action that fails, is canceled, or ends prematurely, often because of rainy weather.
  3. The washing away of soil, earth, rocks, etc. by a sudden, strong flow of water
dud
(Informal) Clothing.
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  1. (Informal) Clothing.
  2. (Informal) One that is disappointingly ineffective or unsuccessful.
  3. A bomb, shell, or explosive round that fails to detonate.
flop
The act or sound of flopping
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  1. The act or sound of flopping
  2. The sound made when flopping.
  3. In certain poker games, the first three community cards that are dealt face up at the same time.
lemon
The fruit of this tree, having an aromatic rind and juicy, acid pulp.
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  1. The fruit of this tree, having an aromatic rind and juicy, acid pulp.
  2. A small, egg-shaped, edible citrus fruit with a yellow rind and a juicy, sour pulp, rich in ascorbic acid
  3. Lemon yellow.
bomb
A small container with compressed gas in it
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  1. A small container with compressed gas in it
  2. An explosive weapon detonated by impact, proximity to an object, a timing mechanism, or other means.
  3. (Slang) One that is excellent or superior. Used with the.
breakdown
(Electricity) The abrupt failure of an insulator or insulating medium to restrict the flow of current.
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  1. (Electricity) The abrupt failure of an insulator or insulating medium to restrict the flow of current.
  2. The condition resulting from this:
  3. A failure of health; physical, mental, or emotional collapse
outage
The amount of something lost in storage or transportation.
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  1. The amount of something lost in storage or transportation.
  2. A temporary loss of electric power
  3. A temporary suspension of operation, especially of electrical power supply.
default
(Comput.) A preset choice, setting, etc. for automatic use as by a program when no other is specified by a user
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  1. (Comput.) A preset choice, setting, etc. for automatic use as by a program when no other is specified by a user
  2. (--- Computers) A particular setting or value for a variable that is assigned automatically by an operating system and remains in effect unless canceled or overridden by the operator:
  3. Failure to perform a task or fulfill an obligation, especially failure to meet a financial obligation:
delinquency
Failure or neglect to do what duty or law requires
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  1. Failure or neglect to do what duty or law requires
  2. A debt or other financial obligation on which payment is overdue.
  3. A failure, by act or omission, to perform a legal or contractual obligation.
dereliction
The committing of a breach, typically of a duty.
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  1. The committing of a breach, typically of a duty.
  2. Willful neglect, as of duty or principle.
  3. A neglect of, or failure in, duty; a being remiss
neglect
The action or status of failing to care for or to maintain something. The action or status of failing to care for or to maintain something.
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  1. The action or status of failing to care for or to maintain something. The action or status of failing to care for or to maintain something.
  2. Habitual lack of care:
  3. The state or fact of being neglected:
omission
An omitting or being omitted; specif., failure to do as one should
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  1. An omitting or being omitted; specif., failure to do as one should
  2. The act of leaving something out or not done. An omission may be deliberate or unintentional.
  3. The act of neglecting to do something required by law; especially one’s duty.
nonfeasance
(Law) Failure to do what duty requires to be done
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  1. (Law) Failure to do what duty requires to be done
  2. Failure to perform an act that is an official, contractual, or professional duty.
declination
An oblique variation from some definite direction
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  1. An oblique variation from some definite direction
  2. A falling off, especially from prosperity or vigor; a decline.
  3. (Archaic) Decline; deterioration; decay
decline
A downward movement or fall, as in price.
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  1. A downward movement or fall, as in price.
  2. The process or result of declining, especially a deterioration of health:
  3. A period of decline
deterioration
The process of growing worse, or the state of having grown worse.
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  1. The process of growing worse, or the state of having grown worse.
bankruptcy
The system of adjudication that declares instances of bankruptcy:
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  1. The system of adjudication that declares instances of bankruptcy:
  2. Complete failure; ruin
  3. A federal judicial procedure by which most debts owed by a person or entity are extinguished or reduced or the payment of which are delayed. A federal judicial procedure by which most debts owed by a person or entity are extinguished or reduced or the payment of which are delayed.
bust
A piece of sculpture representing the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a human body
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  1. A piece of sculpture representing the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a human body
  2. A woman's breasts.
  3. (Informal) A spree:
insolvency
The condition of having more debts than assets.
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  1. The condition of having more debts than assets.
  2. The condition of being insolvent; the state or condition of a person who is insolvent; the condition of one who is unable to pay his debts as they fall due, or in the usual course of trade and business; as, a merchant's insolvency.
  3. The status of being unable to pay one’s debts when due. The status of being unable to pay one’s debts when due.
Find another word for failure. In this page you can discover 116 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for failure, like: abortion, crash, fizzle, fiasco, misadventure, nonperformance, bankruptcy, insolvency, nonsuccess, miscarriage and labor in vain.

Sentence Examples

  • Each success has some failure along the way.

  • I realize now my venture was doomed to failure from the start as my target was far better protected than I sensed.

  • The feeling of failure settled into her bleak thoughts.

  • "I'm such a failure," he said with a sigh.

  • While the last words, "sleeping, just sleeping," said prior to the interruption by Grasso seemed to denote failure, the earlier recorded observations suggest otherwise.

More sentences →

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Words near failure in the Thesaurus