Collocations for failure - noun
1. lack of success
ADJ.
complete, total | abject, humiliating, ignominious
The attempt ended in abject failure.
The attempt ended in abject failure.
inevitable | costly | alleged, apparent, perceived | evident | comparative, relative | initial
Initial failure was followed by unexpected, if modest, success.
Initial failure was followed by unexpected, if modest, success.
ultimate
War is the ultimate failure of public communication.
War is the ultimate failure of public communication.
personal | moral | academic | economic, financial | military
VERB + FAILURE
be doomed to, end in, result in
All her efforts were doomed to failure.
All her efforts were doomed to failure.
admit, confess
He was too proud to admit failure.
He was too proud to admit failure.
expect
Children who are doing badly tend to expect failure and criticism.
Children who are doing badly tend to expect failure and criticism.
fear | avoid
FAILURE + NOUN
rate
There is a high failure rate with this treatment.
There is a high failure rate with this treatment.
PHRASES
fear of failure
Fear of failure should not deter you from trying.
Fear of failure should not deter you from trying.
a history of failure
John had a long history of academic failure.
John had a long history of academic failure.
a possibility/risk of failure, a sense of failure
2. unsuccessful person/thing
ADJ.
great, serious | complete, total, utter | catastrophic, disastrous | abject, conspicuous, dismal, humiliating, ignominious, lamentable, miserable | costly | heroic
Her ideas were large: if she could not succeed, she would at least be a heroic failure.
Her ideas were large: if she could not succeed, she would at least be a heroic failure.
alleged, apparent, perceived | evident | comparative, relative | past
to learn from past failures
to learn from past failures
rare
The film was one of the rare failures in his career.
The film was one of the rare failures in his career.
unexpected | personal | collective | moral | academic | economic, financial
economic failure and increasing unemployment
economic failure and increasing unemployment
military
VERB + FAILURE
be, represent | prove
The venture proved a costly failure.
The venture proved a costly failure.
feel
I felt a complete failure.
I felt a complete failure.
consider sb/sth, regard sb/sth as | brand sb/sth, pronounce sb/sth
Her parents had long since branded her a failure.
Her parents had long since branded her a failure.
FAILURE + VERB
arise from sth
failures arising from circumstances beyond your control
failures arising from circumstances beyond your control
PREP.
~ of
The decision to withdraw funding represents a failure of imagination.
The decision to withdraw funding represents a failure of imagination.
3. not doing sth
ADJ.
fundamental | general | manifest | consistent, constant, continued/continuing, persistent, repeated | government, management
government failure to listen to the voice of the electorate
government failure to listen to the voice of the electorate
VERB + FAILURE
excuse, justify
seeking to excuse his failure to ask her permission
seeking to excuse his failure to ask her permission
4. of a machine/system/part of the body, etc.
ADJ.
battery, brake, component, computer, engine, equipment, mechanical, power, system, technical | bank, business, commercial, company, corporate, market
Business failures rose by 30% in 2001.
Business failures rose by 30% in 2001.
brain, heart, kidney, liver | crop, harvest | communication
VERB + FAILURE
cause, lead to, result in
a rare viral infection that can lead to heart failure
a rare viral infection that can lead to heart failure
FAILURE + VERB
occur
A power failure occurred between 4 and 5 p.m.
A power failure occurred between 4 and 5 p.m.
PREP.
~ in
a failure in the computer system
a failure in the computer system