: a usually slight or insignificant defect in character, conduct, or ability
: in absence or default of
failing specific instructions, use your own judgment
Examples of failing in a Sentence
Noun He has some minor failings. we could talk about your failings, but it would take all night Preposition Failing progress in the peace process, war seems likely.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 The owner of the daycare, and the center itself, are also due to be sentenced after admitting safety failings, per the BBC and The Independent. —Adam England, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 Isolated by its beautiful, rugged mountains, West Virginia sits entirely within Appalachia and has long been listed at the bottom of a laundry list of failings, including poor health and a lack of education. —ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026 The commitment angst plaguing Charlie and Emma over Emma’s secret seems to have a lot to do with several contemporary concerns—mixed messaging about gender roles, confusion over what constitutes a moral failing—that yield knee-jerk responses. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for failing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Now it had been relegated again to a leftist cause, a symbol of anti-imperial resistance for some and the face of communism’s failings for others. —Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 The owner of the daycare, and the center itself, are also due to be sentenced after admitting safety failings, per the BBC and The Independent. —Adam England, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 Isolated by its beautiful, rugged mountains, West Virginia sits entirely within Appalachia and has long been listed at the bottom of a laundry list of failings, including poor health and a lack of education. —ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026 The commitment angst plaguing Charlie and Emma over Emma’s secret seems to have a lot to do with several contemporary concerns—mixed messaging about gender roles, confusion over what constitutes a moral failing—that yield knee-jerk responses. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for failing
Cite this Entry
“Failing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/failing. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
failing
1 of 2 noun
fail·ing ˈfā-liŋ 
failing
2 of 2 preposition
: in the absence or lack of
failing specific instructions, use your own judgment
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