Fail
Fail verb - To stop functioning.
Usage example: my video camera failed just as I was about to shoot the big moment
Malfunction and fail are semantically related in stop working topic. In some cases you can use "Malfunction" instead a verb "Fail".
Malfunction
Malfunction verb - Fail to function or function improperly.
Usage example: the coffee maker malfunctioned
Fail and malfunction are semantically related in crash topic. You can use "Fail" instead a verb "Malfunction", if it concerns topics such as break down.
Nearby Words: malfunctioning, malfunctioned
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
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A Disney's Doug (actually Quailman) episode features S.T.U.A.R.T., a company that makes all sorts of products which malfunction and fail on purpose just to annoy their users as much as possible.
Source: Acme Products -
They're also prone to malfunction, hard to repair (often vaporizing you if you fail) and expensive to replace.
Source: Plasma Cannon - However, a random malfunction can result in several thousand colonists dying in their sleep, when their cryochambers fail.
Source: Videogame / Alien Legacy
Cite this Source
Malfunction and Fail. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/fail/malfunction
Fail & Malfunction. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/fail/malfunction>.
Malfunction or Fail. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/fail/malfunction.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "fail" and "malfunction" have occurred on timeline