malfunction — a failure to function normally or correctly
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a failure to function normally or correctly
Pronunciation (IPA): /mælˈfʌŋkʃən/
Example Sentences
- My smartphone started to malfunction right before my important presentation - Murphy's Law strikes again!
- The air conditioning malfunction turned our office into a sauna during the summer heat wave.
- Due to a computer malfunction, all flight departures were delayed by several hours.
malfunction
NOUN[/mælˈfʌŋkʃən/]
a failure to function normally or correctly
Everything is broken and not working
Every function fails at the junction malfunction!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Malfunction emerged in the 1940s as a modern English compound combining the Latin prefix mal- (meaning 'bad' or 'poorly') with function (from Latin functio, meaning 'performance' or 'operation'). The term became widely adopted with the development of modern technology to describe equipment or systems operating incorrectly.
Breakdown
mal- (Latin, bad/poorly) + function (Latin functio, performance/operation). The prefix mal- negates or corrupts the normal operation denoted by function.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My smartphone started to malfunction right before my important presentation - Murphy's Law strikes again!”
“The air conditioning malfunction turned our office into a sauna during the summer heat wave.”
“Due to a computer malfunction, all flight departures were delayed by several hours.”
“The robot vacuum cleaner malfunctioned and chased the cat around the house all morning.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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