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Success and Failure - Unsuccessful Entities

Here you will learn some English words related to unsuccessful entities such as "lost cause", "slippage", and "washout".

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Words Related to Success and Failure
lame duck
lame duck
[noun]

someone or something that is unsuccessful and in need of help

Ex: After years of losses, the company became a lame duck. 
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lost cause

a thing or person that cannot be fixed, saved, or made successful

Ex: After numerous failed attempts, the project seemed like a lost cause. 
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loss
loss
[noun]

defeat in a contest, race, or game

Ex: The team suffered a loss in the finals. 
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loser
loser
[noun]

an uncool, unsuccessful, or contemptible person

Ex: He still lives with his parents at thirty – what a loser. 
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manque
manque
[Adjective]

describing someone who has failed to have the specific job that they wished for

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meltdown
meltdown
[noun]

a disastrous failure or collapse of a system, plan, or situation

Ex: The website had a total meltdown during the product launch. 
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mistake
mistake
[noun]

an act or opinion that is wrong

Ex: Recognizing and admitting your mistakes is the first step toward personal growth. 
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non-starter

someone or something that will never succeed

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no-hoper
no-hoper
[noun]

a person or animal that is expected to fail in a contest, race, etc.

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own goal
own goal
[noun]

an action that accidentally harms one's own interests

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paper tiger

someone or something that looks frightening, dangerous, or strong while in reality, they are not

Ex: The dictator looked terrifying, but after the first protests he was exposed as a paper tiger. 
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poor relation

someone or something that is not regarded as important, successful, or valued as others of the same group

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to [put] {sth} down to experience

to learn from a failure, mistake, or unpleasant situation instead of feeling bad about it

Ex: The trip was a disaster, but I'm putting it down to experience. 
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rearguard action

a strong attempt to prevent or change something, even if it seems hopeless

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reverse
reverse
[noun]

a problem or failure that prevents someone or something from achieving further success

Ex: The company's financial troubles became a reverse, stalling its expansion plans. 
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slippage
slippage
[noun]

failure to do or complete something according to the expected date, amount, standard, etc.

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small-time
small-time
[Adjective]

of little importance or success

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stumble
stumble
[noun]

a failure or setback, often caused by misfortune

Ex: The business faced a stumble due to market downturns. 
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shitty
shitty
[Adjective]

having a very undesirable or low quality

Ex: The service at the restaurant was so shitty that we decided to leave without eating. 
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the weak link

the weakest or most vulnerable point of something that has the highest risk of failure

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turkey
turkey
[noun]

something, especially a film, show, or project, that fails badly

Ex: The expensive movie turned out to be a box-office turkey. 
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washout
washout
[noun]

a complete or disappointing failure

Ex: The game was a washout and ended without a single goal. 
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write-off
write-off
[noun]

a period of time in which one fails to accomplish anything

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Z-list
Z-list
[Adjective]

indicating the group of people who are characterized as the least famous or successful, particularly in show business

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Z-lister
Z-lister
[noun]

one individual out of the group of the least famous or successful people, particularly in show business

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