failure
The word carries a heavy emotional weight, often fluctuating between a neutral technical description (like mechanical breakdown) and a deeply personal sense of inadequacy or shame. In social contexts, it is frequently used as a harsh judgment of character. Calling someone "a failure" shifts the focus from a specific event to their entire identity, making it far more aggressive than saying they "failed at a task." When applied to systems or organs, the term is clinical and objective, denoting a total collapse of function rather than a mistake. In legal or formal contexts, it describes a breach of duty—a void where an action should have been.
Countable when referring to a specific unsuccessful attempt ('The project was a failure') or a person who hasn't succeeded ('He felt like a failure'). Uncountable when referring to the general state of not succeeding ('Failure is part of learning') or the act of neglecting a duty ('His failure to pay the bill').
💬Casual Conversation
The server just crashed. This whole rollout is a total failure.
Chill out. We'll just pivot and touch base on this tomorrow.
Meanings
Lack of success in achieving a goal or desired outcome.
"The mission was a complete failure due to poor planning."
The omission of an expected action or duty; a neglect.
"His failure to report the accident led to legal complications."
The cessation of functioning properly, especially of a mechanical part or biological organ.
"The aircraft suffered a total engine failure mid-flight."
A person or thing that is not successful.
"He felt like a failure after losing his job for the third time."