double fault
Low-Frequency (C1-C2)Semi-formal / Specialised
Definition
Meaning
In tennis, a point lost by a player who fails on both service attempts.
A general term for two consecutive mistakes or failures that lead to an undesired outcome, analogous to the sports term.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a tennis term but productively used in metaphorical or analogous contexts in business, computing, and general failure analysis.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in definition or usage. British usage may more commonly include 'double-fault' as a verb with a hyphen, but both regions use the term identically in context.
Connotations
Conveys a sense of avoidable, self-inflicted error. The metaphorical extension is slightly more common in American business jargon.
Frequency
Rare in everyday conversation outside sports commentary; frequency spikes around major tennis events.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to double-fault (verb, intransitive)to commit/hit/serve a double fault (noun phrase)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “serve up a double fault (metaphorical for making two big mistakes)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to two significant, sequential errors that lead to a project's failure, e.g., 'The marketing campaign was a double fault of poor targeting and weak messaging.'
Academic
Rare; potentially used in sports science or error analysis studies.
Everyday
Mostly used when discussing or watching tennis.
Technical
Used in computing for two cascading system failures, or in engineering for redundant system faults.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She double-faulted at a critical moment in the final set.
- He tends to double-fault when under pressure.
American English
- She double faulted to hand her opponent the break.
- He double faulted three times in that game.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- Not applicable.
adjective
British English
- A double-fault error cost him the championship point.
American English
- The double fault count was unusually high for such a skilled player.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- In tennis, a double fault is bad.
- She lost the point with a double fault.
- He served a double fault on match point and lost the game.
- Too many double faults can lose you a tennis match.
- Her propensity to double-fault under pressure is a major weakness in her game.
- The project failed due to a double fault of insufficient funding and poor planning.
- The metaphorical double fault of ignoring market research and then overextending financially led to the startup's collapse.
- After the server double-faulted, he smashed his racket in frustration.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'double' meaning two, and 'fault' meaning error. Two faults in a row on your serve = you lose the point.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAILURE IS A SPORTS ERROR / A SERIES OF MISTAKES IS A DOUBLE FAULT
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation as 'двойная ошибка' in non-sport contexts; it sounds unnatural. In tennis, use 'дабл-фолт' (loanword) or 'двойная ошибка на подаче'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for any two unrelated mistakes (they must be sequential and related in context).
- Incorrect verb form: 'He double faulted' (correct), not 'He did a double fault' (awkward).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'double fault' used literally?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while its literal and primary meaning is from tennis, it is productively used as a metaphor in business, computing, and other fields to describe two consecutive, critical failures.
Yes. The verb form is 'to double-fault' (often hyphenated in UK English). Example: 'She double-faulted on her first serve.'
A 'fault' is a failed first serve. A 'double fault' is when the second serve also fails, resulting in the loss of the point.
Yes, by definition. It is an error made solely by the server, unlike a point played during a rally.