malfunction

Thân thiện

The coffee maker malfunctioned this morning.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A failure to function normally: A state or instance in which something does not work or operate in the correct or usual way.

2. Verb:

   • To fail to function or function improperly: To cease to work correctly or to operate in a faulty manner.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The flight was delayed due to a computer malfunction.
  • Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the system's malfunction.

• Verb:

  • If the printer malfunctions, try turning it off and on again.
  • The equipment malfunctioned during the critical experiment.

Advanced Usage

• "to be in a state of malfunction": to be currently not working properly.

  • The traffic lights have been in a state of malfunction all morning, causing chaos.

• "catastrophic malfunction": a sudden and complete failure that causes serious damage or renders something unusable.

  • The engine suffered a catastrophic malfunction at high altitude.

Variants and Related Words

• Malfunctioning (adj): Not working properly.
  • The malfunctioning alarm kept beeping all night.

Synonyms

• Breakdown (n): A failure of a machine or system.
• Fault (n): A defect or imperfection, especially in a machine.
• Glitch (n): A sudden, usually minor, malfunction.
• Fail (v): To stop functioning.

Related Phrases

• Hardware/Software malfunction: Specifying the type of system that has failed.
  • The data loss was attributed to a hardware malfunction.
  • A software malfunction corrupted the files.

Idioms

• "To go on the fritz" (informal): To start malfunctioning.
  • Our television went on the fritz right before the big game.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a failure to function normally

Verb

1. fail to function or function improperly
   • the coffee maker malfunctioned

Từ đồng nghĩa

• misfunction