failure
noun
Failure — an unexpected falling short of what was needed or promised
Definition
An unexpected omission; "he resented my failure to return his call"; "the mechanic's failure to check the brakes"
In depth
Failure, in this broader sense, names an unexpected omission or shortfall, the unmet expectation that something necessary or promised did not, in fact, occur. The word carries genuine emotional and consequential weight, distinct from the more clinical 'nonaccomplishment,' naming directly the disappointment or harm that results when an expected action or outcome simply does not happen.
Origin
The word descends from Old French faillir, to fail or be lacking, ultimately from Latin fallere, to deceive or disappoint. That root connection to deception is suggestive: failure, etymologically, carries within it a faint implication of betrayal, the sense that an expectation, once formed, has somehow been let down or deceived.
Usage examples
"He resented my failure to return his call, though I had genuinely forgotten amid the chaos of that particular week."
"The mechanic's failure to properly inspect the brakes led directly to the accident that followed."
"Her failure to mention the conflict of interest, however unintentional, raised serious questions about her judgment."
How to use it
Failure is broadly useful and emotionally direct vocabulary, particularly powerful in writing about broken trust, unmet obligation, or consequential omission, distinct from the more neutral, clinical 'nonaccomplishment' or 'nonachievement.'
Related concepts
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