Basic Details
Word: Failure
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Lack of success in doing something; also a breakdown, as when a machine or the power supply stops working.
Synonyms: defeat, breakdown, collapse, flop
Antonyms: success, triumph, victory
How to Spell Failure
Syllables: fail - ure
Tricky part: The ending sounds like yer, so students write failer or failur. The word keeps all of fail and then adds ure.
Watch out for: faliure, failur, failier
Memory tip: Write fail first, all four letters, then add ure - press becomes pressure in exactly the same way.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The power failure in our colony lasted until the generator was switched on.
Example 2: Ravi treated one bad science test as a lesson, not a failure.
Example 3: The rocket launch was called off after a failure in one of the fuel valves.
Fun Fact
It came into English in the 1640s as failer, from an Anglo-French noun meaning a default or a failing. The ending was later changed to ure, the same ending as in pressure and mixture.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. tremendus 2. relucktant 3. persistance 4. failure
a) very great in amount or power
b) unwilling and slow to do something
c) lack of success in doing something
d) the habit of continuing in spite of difficulty
Show answer
c) lack of success in doing something. Persistence ends in ence, reluctant has no k and tremendous ends in ous, so failure is the one written right.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word failure as used in the sentence:
The first attempt to grow strawberries in the school garden was a complete failure, as the plants dried up in April.
a) disaster
b) success
c) setback
d) collapse
Show answer
b) success. Failure means things did not work out; success is the opposite, while the other three point the same way as failure.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
f_il_re
a) a, u
b) e, u
c) o, u
d) a, i
Show answer
a) a, u. Spell fail in full and the second gap is the u of the ure ending.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
After three tries the experiment ended in uriefal, so the team checked every wire again.
a) feature
b) figure
c) fissure
d) failure
Show answer
d) failure. The jumble holds an l and an a but no t, s or g, which leaves only failure.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A power failure means that ____.
a) the electricity supply has stopped
b) a new power line has been fitted
c) the street lights are switched on
d) the electricity bill has gone up
Show answer
a) the electricity supply has stopped
2. If a crop failure hits a village, ____.
a) the rain falls early
b) the fields are sold
c) the harvest is very large
d) the harvest is very poor
Show answer
d) the harvest is very poor
