Failing and Malfunction

Failing

Failing noun - A defect in character.

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Malfunction and failing are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Malfunction" instead the word "Failing" as a noun or a verb.

Nearby Words: fail, failure, failed

Malfunction noun - A failure to function normally.

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Failing and malfunction are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Failing" instead a noun "Malfunction".

actual	actual failing	actual malfunction
real	real failing	real malfunction
constant	constant failing	constant malfunction
potential	potential failing	potential malfunction
Other adjectives: major, minor, last, recent, electrical, hyperdrive.

Holodeck Malfunction: Multiple episodes center on the holodeck failing catastrophically.

Source: Series / Star Trek: The Next Generation
And once you released the torpedo, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't malfunction, sinking into the water, drifting off target, or even striking the target directly and failing to detonate at all.

Source: Airstrike Impossible
This goes all the way from a fairly reasonable reaction (a Person of Mass Destruction turning traitor for money and destroying an entire Decepticon fleet) to insanely Disproportionate Retribution (a suicide bomber failing to detonate the bomb inside of him because of a mechanical malfunction).

Source: All Crimes Are Equal

Cite this Source

Malfunction and Failing. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/failing/malfunction

Failing & Malfunction. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/failing/malfunction>.

Malfunction or Failing. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/failing/malfunction.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "failing" and "malfunction" have occurred on timeline