debacle
Definition
Noun 1. A complete and disastrous failure or collapse: A sudden, overwhelming defeat or breakdown, often resulting in chaos or confusion. 2. A tumultuous breakup of ice in a river, causing a flood: Specifically, a natural event where river ice breaks up violently in spring or summer, leading to flooding. 3. A sudden and violent collapse: A rapid and catastrophic failure of a system, organization, or situation.
Usage and Examples
- The new product launch was a complete debacle, resulting in huge financial losses and public ridicule.
- The military campaign ended in a debacle, with troops retreating in disorder.
- The spring debacle on the river destroyed several homes along the bank.
- The company's merger turned into a debacle due to poor planning and clashing corporate cultures.
Advanced Usage
- To be/end in a debacle: Describes a situation that results in a disastrous failure.
- The peace talks ended in a debacle, with both sides walking out.
- Sheer/utter/complete debacle: Intensifiers used to emphasize the total nature of the failure.
- The event's organization was a sheer debacle from start to finish.
Variants and Related Words
- Debacle is also sometimes spelled , reflecting its French origin.
- Fiasco (n.): A complete and humiliating failure. (A close synonym, though 'fiasco' can sometimes imply more absurdity or ridicule, while 'debacle' often implies a larger-scale, more chaotic collapse).
- Catastrophe (n.): A sudden and widespread disaster.
- Rout (n.): A disorderly retreat of defeated troops; an overwhelming defeat.
Synonyms
- Fiasco
- Catastrophe
- Disaster
- Rout
- Collapse
- Failure
Antonyms
- Success
- Triumph
- Victory
- Achievement
Idioms and Common Phrases
- Recipe for a debacle: A situation or plan that is very likely to cause a disastrous failure.
- Mixing those two teams without clear leadership is a recipe for a debacle.
Noun
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a sound defeat
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flooding caused by a tumultuous breakup of ice in a river during the spring or summer
-
a sudden and violent collapse
