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# failure

noun (a failure, failures; failure, uncountable)

«failure» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Failure is not succeeding at something you tried to do. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#m1)
2. A failure is an attempt, plan or thing that did not work. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#m2)
3. A failure of a machine or body part is when it stops working, like a power failure. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#m3)
4. Failure to do something means not doing it when you should. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#m4)

### In the lessons

In school and stories, failure is part of learning: scientists and inventors fail many times before they succeed. In everyday life a power failure means the lights go out. Phrases: «learn from failure», «end in failure», «a power failure», «failure to follow the rules».

### Examples

- Every failure taught the inventor something new. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#x1)
- Our first rocket was a failure, but the second one flew. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#x2)
- Don't be afraid of failure; just try. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#x3)
- The lights went out because of a power failure. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#x4)
- The plan ended in failure. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#x5)
- Engine failure made the plane land early. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#x6)
- Failure to wear a helmet can be dangerous. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#x7)
- But the spider did not lose hope with the sixth failure. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/#x8)

### Note

Countable or uncountable. Verb: «fail». Calling a person «a failure» is unkind and untrue: one failed try does not make someone a failure. Science calls a failed test a result too; it tells you something.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «failure» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/failure/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«failure» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/failure.html) on Mova free.