Don't set your failure down to bad luck.
Source: tatoeba (16025)
Failure
/ˈfeɪ.ljɚ/
Synonyms for "failure" (539 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (108)
Noun(27 words)
also ranalso-ranantimasquearreararrearagearrearsatrocityaudience successbad habitbafflementbalkballetbankruptbankruptcybasenessbeatingbesetting sinbetrayed hopeblasted expectationblemish
Show 57 more words
blighted hopeblowbombbootlessnessbotchbouncing checkbreachbreakdownbroadcast dramabuffetbugburlesque showbustcatastrophecatchcharadeclerical errorcliff hangercloset dramacollapsecomedowncomedy dramaconqueringconquestcorrigendumcounterproductivenesscounterproductivitycrackcrashcrimecrime against humanitycritical successcruel disappointmentculpaculpable negligencedashdashed hopedaytime serialdead duckdeadly sindearthdeathblowdebacledebasementdebilitationdecadencedecadencydecaydeclensiondeclinationdeclinedefalcationdefaultdefeatdefectdefectiondefectiveness
Verb(4 words)
collapse suddenlycollapse under pressurecollapses under pressurecrack under pressure
Strong matches (162)
deficiencydeficitdeformationdegeneracydegeneratenessdegenerationdegradationdelinquencydemotiondepravationdepravednessdepreciationderelictionderogationdescentdestructiondeteriorationdevolutiondialoguedisappointment
Show 110 more words
discomfituredisconformitydiscontinuancedisillusionmentdisregarddissatisfactiondocumentary dramadownfalldowntrenddownturndownward mobilitydownward trenddramadramaloguedramatic playdramatic seriesdrawbackdropdrubbingdudduodramaduologuedyingebbebbingeffetenessendless taskenfeeblementenormityepic theatererratumerrorevilexhaustionexperimental theaterextravaganzafadingfailingfailure of nervefallfallen countenancefalling shortfalling-offfalse alarmfatuityfaultfautefelonyfewnessfiascofizzleflaggingflash in the panflawflopfly in the ointmentfoiblefoilingfoldingforlorn hopefrailtyfrustrationfutilitygassergenocidegiveawaygrand guignolguilty acthappeninghashheavy sinhidinghithit showholehope deferredhuman errorimperfectionimproprietyimprovisational dramainadequacyinadvertenceinadvertencyinanityinattentionincompetenceincompetentindebtednessindifferenceindiscretionineffectivenessineffectualityineffectualnessinefficaciousnessinefficacyinexecutioninexpiable sininferiorityinfirmityiniquityinjuryinjusticeinobservanceinsolvencyinsolventinsolvent debtorinsufficiencyinsufficient fundsinvalidityinvolution
Noun(28 words)
disasterduddudingdudsdysfunctionecosystem dysfunctionalityengine failurefailfail to operatefail verbfall apartfaultfiascosfizzlesfizzlingflopfloppingflopsflunkflunking
Show 8 more words
Verb(3 words)
Adjective(1 words)
italian collasso
Related words (269)
kinkkited checklacheslacklaissez fairelaissez-fairelambastinglame ducklapselatheringlaxitylaxnesslegitimate dramalemonletdownlickinglittle problemlittlenessloose endslooseness
Show 217 more words
loserlossloss of tonemaladroitnessmalefactionmalfeasancemalummasquemasterymeagernessmeannessmediocritymelodramaminor wrongminstrel showmiraclemiracle playmiragemisapprehensionmiscalculationmiscarriagemisconceptionmiscountmisdealmisdeedmisdemeanormisfeasancemisfiremisidentificationmisjudgmentmisplaymisprintmisquotationmisreportmissmisstatementmistakemisunderstandingmisusemonodramamonologuemoral flawmoralitymorality playmortal sinmuddlemusic dramamusical revuemysterymystery playnaughtneglectneglectfulnessnegligenceno gononaccomplishmentnonachievementnonadherencenoncompletionnoncompliancenonconformancenonconformitynonconsummationnondischargingnonentitynonexecutionnonfeasancenonfulfillmentnoninterferencenonobservancenonperformancenonrestrictionnonsuccessoffenseomissionoperaoutrageovercomingoverdraftoverdrawn accountoverlookingoversightoverthrowoverturnpageantpanel showpantomimepassion playpastoralpastoral dramapaucitypeccadillopeccancypermissivenesspettinesspieceplayplayletpoor stewardshippoornessproblemproblem playprocrastinationpsychodramaquietusquiz showradio dramareceivershipregressionrelapseremissnessretrocessionretrogradationretrogressionreviewrevueriftrough edgesruinscantinesssensational playserialsetbackshabbinessshort measureshortageshortcomingshortfallshowsinsin of commissionsin of omissionsinful actsisyphean laborsitcomsituation comedysketchskimpinessskitslacknessslightslipslippageslumpsmallnesssmashsnagsoapsoap operasociodramasomething missingsore disappointmentspectaclestage playstage showstraight dramasubdualsubduingsubjugationsubnormalitysuccesssuspense dramatableautableau vivanttainttalk showtantalizationteaseteleplaytelevision dramatelevision playtheater of crueltythrashingtom showtorttotal theatertransgressiontrespasstrimmingtriptrivialitytrouncingtypotypographical errorunconcernunderageundoingunfulfillmentunobservanceunrigorousnessunskillfulnessunsuccessunsuccessfulnessunutterable sinuselessnessvanquishmentvariety showvaudevillevaudeville showvehiclevenial sinvicevulgarityvulnerable placewanewaningwashoutwaterlooweak linkweak pointweak sideweaknesswhippingword-of-mouth successworkwork of penelopewrong
Noun(29 words)
losermalfunctionmalfunctionsmechanical faultmeltdownmisfiremisfiresnonachievementnonfunctionnonimplementationnonstarternotworkorganization failureoutagepancakingplanning failureproject collapsesetbacksetbacksshortcoming
Show 9 more words
software crashstate of disarraystop functioningsuccumbencesudden collapsethudunderachieverunsuccessful personwhiff
Verb(3 words)
neglect to dosuffer defeatweaken resolve
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: aborts, also ran, also-ran, antimasque, arrear.
- Sentence evidence is available for failure, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, moby, wordnet, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "failure".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "failure"
Keep "failure" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "failure" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "failure", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "failure" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
26 entriesShowing 16 of 26 words.
More specific
10 entriesacademic failuredudequipment failureflophardware failurepower failureproject failuresystem failuretest failureunderachiever
Collocations
6 entriesacademic failurefailure ratepower failureproject failurerisk of failuresystem failure
Inflections
1 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
116 translations across 60 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- dështim noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Ancient Greek
3 entries- ἀποτυχία noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- ἀστοχία noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- ἀστόχημα noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Arabic
2 entries- إِخْفَاق noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- فَشَل noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Armenian
2 entries- անհաջողություն noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- ձախողում noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Basque
1 entries- porrot noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Belarusian
3 entries- крах noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- няўда́ча noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- права́л noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Bulgarian
2 entries- несполу́ка noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- неуспе́х noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Catalan
2 entries- fallida noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- fracàs (hispanism) noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Cherokee
1 entries- ᎤᏄᎸᎲᏍᎩ noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 失敗 /失败 noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Czech
3 entries- nezdar noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- neúspěch noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- selhání noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Danish
1 entries- fiasko noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Dari
1 entries- شِکَسْت noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Dutch
3 entries- faling noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- fout noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- mislukking noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Esperanto
2 entries- fiasko noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- malsukceso noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Estonian
1 entries- ebaõnnestumine noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Finnish
4 entries- epäonnistuminen noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- kömmähdys noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- moka noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- munaus noun (state or condition opposite of success)
French
1 entries- échec noun (state or condition opposite of success)
German
4 entries- Ausfall noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- Fehlschlag noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- Misserfolg noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- Misslingen noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Greek
1 entries- αποτυχία noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Hebrew
1 entries- כישלון \ כִּשָּׁלוֹן noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Hindi
2 entries- असफलता noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- विफलता noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Hungarian
4 entries- bukás noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- felsülés noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- fiaskó noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- kudarc noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Ido
1 entries- fiasko noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Indonesian
2 entries- gagal noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- kegagalan noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Iranian Persian
1 entries- شِکَسْت noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Irish
2 entries- cliseadh noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- meath noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Italian
4 entries- avaria noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- fallimento noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- fiasco noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- insuccesso noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Japanese
1 entries- 失敗 noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Kabuverdianu
1 entries- fadja noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Kazakh
1 entries- сәтсіздік noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Khmer
3 entries- កំហក noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- ចំណាញ់ noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- រិត្ត noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Korean
1 entries- 실패 noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Kyrgyz
2 entries- жол болбоо noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- иш ордунан чыкпай калуу noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Latin
2 entries- dēfectiō noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- dēliquium noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Latvian
2 entries- neizdošanās noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- neveiksme noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Lithuanian
1 entries- nepasisekimas noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Macedonian
1 entries- неуспех noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Malay
1 entries- kegagalan noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Māori
1 entries- mūhoretanga noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- fiasko noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- misære noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Old English
1 entries- āteorung, ġeteorung noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Polish
3 entries- niepowodzenie noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- nieudacznictwo noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- porażka noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Portuguese
3 entries- falha noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- falhanço noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- fracasso noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Romanian
1 entries- eșec noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Russian
4 entries- крах noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- неуда́ча noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- неуспе́х noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- прова́л noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Sanskrit
1 entries- असिद्धि noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- fàilligeadh noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- nȅuspeh noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- nȅuspjeh noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- не̏успех noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- не̏успјех noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Slovak
3 entries- krach noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- nezdar noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- neúspech noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Slovene
1 entries- neuspeh noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Spanish
3 entries- cate noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- fallo noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- fracaso noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Swahili
1 entries- ushinde noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Swedish
1 entries- misslyckande noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Tagalog
1 entries- pagkabigo noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Tamil
1 entries- தோல்வி noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Telugu
1 entries- వైఫల్యం noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Turkish
1 entries- başarısızlık noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Ukrainian
3 entries- крах noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- невда́ча noun (state or condition opposite of success)
- прова́л noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Vietnamese
1 entries- thất bại noun (state or condition opposite of success)
Sample sentences
19 total sentences available.
You should acknowledge your failure.
Source: tatoeba (16026)
You have Jim to thank for your failure.
Source: tatoeba (17094)
We found the failure of the experiment at the last moment.
Source: tatoeba (20830)
Showing 4 of 19 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "failure"?
Closest matches include aborts, also ran, also-ran, antimasque, arrear.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "failure"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.