backfire — to produce the opposite result to the one intended
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to produce the opposite result to the one intended
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈbækˌfaɪər/
Example Sentences
- His attempt to impress his date by ordering expensive wine backfired when he couldn't afford the bill.
- The company's cost-cutting measures backfired, resulting in lower quality and lost customers.
- She tried to make her ex-boyfriend jealous by posting photos with another guy, but it backfired when he started dating her best friend.
backfire
VERB[/ˈbækˌfaɪər/]
to produce the opposite result to the one intended
His prank backfires when the water bucket soaks him instead of his friend.
When desire meets expire, dreams backfire!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word emerged in 1897 to describe a mechanical phenomenon in internal combustion engines where fuel ignites prematurely or in the wrong direction. From the mid-twentieth century onward, it expanded metaphorically to mean an action or plan that produces the opposite of the intended effect.
Breakdown
back- (toward the rear) + fire (explosion, ignition) = an explosion or ignition occurring in the wrong direction or at the wrong time within an engine.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“His attempt to impress his date by ordering expensive wine backfired when he couldn't afford the bill.”
“The company's cost-cutting measures backfired, resulting in lower quality and lost customers.”
“She tried to make her ex-boyfriend jealous by posting photos with another guy, but it backfired when he started dating her best friend.”
“The old motorcycle backfired loudly, waking up the entire neighborhood.”
📚Related Words
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