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Synonyms for failure
noun lack of success

breakdown
loss
misstep
collapse
decline
failing
deficiency
deterioration
defeat
bankruptcy
flop
bomb

downfall
turkey
lemon
wreck
stoppage
rout
misadventure
inadequacy
bust
deficit
frustration
overthrow

stalemate
checkmate
mess
miscarriage
rupture
decay
botch
abortion
loser
fiasco
bungle
false step

faux pas
flash in the pan
nonperformance
implosion
washout
lead balloon
nonsuccess
sinking ship
total loss

Antonyms for failure

success
win
increase
betterment
improvement
accomplishment
continuation

enough
plenty
achievement
attainment
earnings
gain
merit

rise
blessing
triumph
benefit
achiever

Synonyms
noun person who does not succeed

disappointment
also-ran
insolvent
turkey
bankrupt
dud
moocher

prodigal
derelict
incompetent
beat
deadbeat
nobody
loafer

bum
castaway
flop
loser
good-for-nothing
lumpy
no-good

has-been
defaulter
might-have-been
underachiever
washout
born loser
nonperformer

Antonyms

success
accomplishment
achievement
attainment

earnings
gain
merit
win

hard worker
achiever

Concept Thesaurus for word failure
Synonyms – noun

failure
successlessness
labor in vain (inutility)
vain attempt
flash in the pan
slip “twixt cup and lip”
omission
trip
false step
bévue
scrape
flunk [U.S.].
smash
rebuff
discomfiture
nonsuit
fool’s mate.
perdition
losing game
flunker

nonsuccess
abortion
no go
ineffectual attempt
“lame and impotent conclusion”
(disappointment)
miss
stumble
wrong step
faute
mess
mishap (misfortune)
blow
defeat
beating
subjugation
fall
wreck (destruction)
affaire flambée.
flunky [U.S.].

nonfulfillment
miscarriage
inefficacy
abortive attempt
[Othello]
blunder (mistake)
oversight
claudication
faux pas
lurch
fiasco
split
explosion.
rout
drubbing
checkmake
downfall
deathblow
victim

dead failure
brutum fulmen
inefficaciousness
abortive efforts
frustration
fault
slip
footfall
titubation
botchery (want of skill)
breakdown
collapse
repulse
overthrow
quietus
stalemate
ruin
bankruptcy (nonpayment)
bankrupt

Synonyms – verbs

fail
do in vain
lose one’s labor
get blood from a stone (impossible)
fall short of
miss one’s footing
stumble
make a botch of
abort
get the wrong sow by the ear (blunder
hobble
lose one’s balance
falter
run one’s head against a stone wall
break down
have the ground cut from under one
come to grief (adversity)
lick the dust
lose the day
succumb (submit)
flat out [U.S.]
fall stillborn
miss fire
go to wrack and ruin (destruction)
go hard with
turn out ill
be all over with
defeat the purpose

be unsuccessful
labor in vain
take nothing by one’s motion
roll the stones of Sisyphus (useless)
miss
miss stays
make a slip
botch it
go up like a rocket and come down like the stick
mismanage)[more]
titubate
fall to the ground
stick in the mud
knock one’s head against a stone wall
sink
get into trouble
go to the wall
bite the dust
come off second best
not have a leg to stand on.
fall to the ground
fall flat
flash in the pan
go amiss
go on a wrong tack
work ill
be all up with
sow the wind and reap the whirlwind

not succeed
toil in vain
bring to naught
do by halves (not complete)
miss one’s aim
slip
blunder[more]
bitch it
reckon without one’s host
limp
fall
fall between two stools
run aground
dash one’s head against a stone wall
drown
get into a mess
go to the dogs
be defeated
lose
come to nothing
fall through
slip through one’s fingers
collapse
go wrong
go on ill
take a wrong term
explode
jump out of the frying pan into the fire.

make vain efforts
flunk [U.S.]
make nothing of
lose ground (recede)
miss the mark
trip
make a mess of
miscarry
get the wrong pig by the tail
halt
tumble
flounder
split upon a rock
break one’s back
founder
get into a scrape
go to pot
have the worst of it
fall a prey to
end in smoke
fall dead
hang fire
topple down (descent)
go cross
come off ill
take an ugly term.
dash one’s hopes (disappoint)[more]

Synonyms – adjectives

unsuccessful
at fault
stillborn
ineffective
of no effect.
stranded
capsized
defeated
downtrodden
ploughed
undone
played out
ruined root and branch

successless
unfortunate
fruitless
inefficient (impotent)
aground
cast away
shipwrecked
struck down
overborne
plowed
ruined
done up
flambe

failing
abortive
bootless
insufficient
grounded
wrecked
nonsuited
borne down
overwhelmed
plucked.
broken
done for
knocked on the head

tripping
addle
ineffectual
unavailing (useless)
swamped
foundered
foiled
broken down
all up with
lost
bankrupt (not paying)
dead beat
destroyed

Synonyms – phrases
the bubble has burst, “the game is up” [Cymbeline]; all is lost; the devil to pay; parturiunt montes (disappointment); dies
Antonyms

success

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Other adjectives related to failure

abortive
at fault
borne down
cast away
defeated
dished
failing
fruitless
hoist on with one’s own petard
inefficacious
lame
nonsuited
overborne
ruined
short
stultified
thrown off one’s balance
unattained
unfortunate
unsuccessful

addle
bankrupt
broken
crossed
deficient
done for
flambe
frustrated
in a sorry plight
inefficient
left in the lurch
oligophrenic
overwhelmed
ruined root and branch
short of
successless
thrown on one’s back
unavailing
unhinged
victimized

aground
befooled
broken down
dashed
destroyed
done up
foiled
grounded
ineffective
insufficient
lost
out of depth
perfunctory
sacrificed
still
swamped
thrown on one’s beam ends
uncompleted
unhorsed
wide of the mark

all up with
bootless
capsized
dead beat
disconcerted
downtrodden
foundered
hobbling
ineffectual
knocked on the head
minus
out of one’s reckoning
played out
shipwrecked
struck down
thrown away
tripping
undone
unreached
wrecked

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