failure
HighNeutral (used across formal and informal contexts)
Definition
Meaning
A lack of success in achieving a goal or fulfilling a function.
Can also refer to a person or thing that has failed, or the omission of expected or required action.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
While fundamentally negative, 'failure' is often used in contexts of learning, analysis, and resilience. It can be concrete (a failed machine) or abstract (a state of not succeeding).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal lexical differences; concept and usage are identical.
Connotations
Identical. Both varieties carry the same weight and potential for stigma or neutral assessment.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
failure to + infinitive (e.g., failure to comply)failure of + noun (e.g., failure of leadership)failure in + noun/gerund (e.g., failure in negotiations)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “pride comes before a fall”
- “back to the drawing board”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to financial collapse, project non-completion, or unmet targets (e.g., 'The product launch was a market failure.').
Academic
Used in analyses of systems, experiments, or historical events (e.g., 'The policy was a failure in social engineering.').
Everyday
Describes personal shortcomings or things that don't work (e.g., 'I feel like a failure.' or 'The car had a brake failure.').
Technical
Precise term in engineering, medicine, or computing (e.g., 'structural failure', 'renal failure', 'system failure').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- 'Fail' is the verb; 'failure' is not used as a verb.
American English
- 'Fail' is the verb; 'failure' is not used as a verb.
adverb
British English
- 'Failingly' is extremely rare. Typically, 'unsuccessfully' is used.
American English
- 'Failingly' is extremely rare. Typically, 'unsuccessfully' is used.
adjective
British English
- 'Failed' is the related adjective (e.g., a failed actor).
American English
- 'Failed' is the related adjective (e.g., a failed experiment).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The cake was a failure because I forgot the sugar.
- His attempt to ride the bike ended in failure.
- The company's failure to invest led to its closure.
- She was afraid of failure, so she didn't try.
- The peace talks were an abject failure, with neither side willing to compromise.
- A sudden power failure plunged the entire city into darkness.
- The report analyses the systemic failures that precipitated the economic crisis.
- His failure to disclose the conflict of interest was deemed a serious ethical breach.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'FAIL-ure' – it's the state or result when something or someone has FAILed.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAILURE IS A FALLING DOWN / FAILURE IS A BURDEN / FAILURE IS A DISEASE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation with 'провал' for all contexts; 'failure' is broader. 'Failure to do something' is often better translated as 'неспособность' or 'невыполнение'. 'Engine failure' is 'отказ двигателя', not 'провал двигателя'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'fail' as a noun (incorrect: 'It was a big fail.' -> correct: 'It was a big failure.').
- Confusing 'failure' (noun) with 'failing' (often a noun for a weakness).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST appropriate collocation with 'failure'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily yes, but in contexts of innovation and learning, it can be framed neutrally as a necessary step (e.g., 'learning from failure').
A mistake is a specific wrong action or decision. A failure is a broader, often final, outcome resulting from mistakes, inadequacy, or external factors.
Yes, but it can be highly pejorative (e.g., 'He was a complete failure.'). More neutral alternatives are 'unsuccessful person' or specifying the area (e.g., 'He was a failure as a businessman.').
It depends: 'failure OF' + thing that failed (failure of the engine), 'failure IN' + area/activity (failure in communication), 'failure TO' + verb (failure to arrive).
Collections
Part of a collection
Innovation
B2 · 46 words · Language of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.