der Fehlschlag
Translation
failure, setback, flop, miscarriage
Examples
Das Projekt war ein totaler Fehlschlag.
The project was a total failure.
Er musste viele Fehlschläge hinnehmen.
He had to accept many setbacks.
Grammar Patterns
to be a failure The experiment was a failure.
to suffer a setback He suffered a severe setback.
Similar Words
Synonyms: Misserfolg (failure), Scheitern (failure); Antonyms: Erfolg (success), Gelingen (success)
Etymology
Composed of 'Fehl-' (wrong, miss) and 'Schlag' (hit, blow). Literally a 'miss-hit' or 'wrong blow'.
Memory Tips
Imagine trying to hit something (Schlag) but missing (Fehl-). That's a failure.