Vocabulary in context
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Debacle
A sudden and complete failure or fiasco; a chaotic collapse of a plan or event
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Imagine This
Imagine organizing a flawless charity gala. Just as the countdown ends, the microphone crackles, the projector fails, and then the host announces the wrong agenda. The event spirals into confusion and embarrassment, a clear debacle.
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Sounds Like
dih-BAK-uhl
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Looks Like
Looks like 'debate' with an extra syllable; similar rhythm and a prefix 'de-'
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Remember This
Debacle conveys a public, notable failure, not just a minor mistake; it often implies a dramatic or chaotic end result.
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Other Forms
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Connect With
fiasco, disaster, collapse, catastrophe, failure
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Note
Avoid using debacle for small errors or routine setbacks. Reserve it for major, public, or highly visible failures. It is stronger than 'failure' or 'mistake' and similar to 'fiasco'.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The product launch turned into a debacle after a software bug caused the live demo to crash.
- The charity gala became a debacle when the speaker canceled last minute and the sound system failed.
Synonyms
fiascodisastercatastrophecollapsefailure
Antonyms
successtriumphvictory
Etymology
From French débâcle, meaning a breaking up or collapse (originally referring to the breaking up of ice on a river), extended figuratively to any sudden collapse or disaster.
Mnemonic
DE-BACK-UL: Think of a plan that buckles under pressure. A debacle is what happens when plans de-buckle and collapse into chaos.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Catastrophe
nounA sudden, widespread disaster or misfortune; a complete collapse or breakdown of a system, event, or plan.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
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