dismal failure

collocation in English

meaningsofdismalandfailure

These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withfailure.
dismal
adjective
uk
/ˈdɪz.məl/us
/ˈdɪz.məl/
sad and ...
See more atdismal
failure
noun
uk
/ˈfeɪ.ljər/us
/ˈfeɪ.ljɚ/
the fact of someone or something ...
See more atfailure

(Definition ofdismalandfailurefrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)

Examplesofdismal failure

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
The operation was a 'dismalfailure' (p. 135).
From theCambridge English Corpus
This was an equallydismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The record is one ofdismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Their policies have been adismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
That has been adismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The pilot scheme was adismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
All we hear about isdismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We know thedismalfailurethat followed its appointment.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The man in his new place was adismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
In fact, the voluntary approach has been adismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
That is why the policy has been adismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
So far, however, it has been adismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Their record is one ofdismalfailureover many years.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
From both countries there has been a mostdismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
He had to tell them something about theirdismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
There is a notable lack of accountability and self-regulation has been adismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
There is much evidence of thedismalfailureto meet those aims and objectives.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
What adismalfailuretransport privatisation has turned out to be.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
How can he judge others when his own record is one ofdismalfailure?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I am glad that their attempt to make political capital was adismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
If that was its object, it has been adismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Has not it been adismalfailure, although it gives us no satisfaction to say it?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
So far, it has been quite obviously adismalfailure, economically.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
As a policy, competitive tendering has been a complete anddismalfailure.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It was adismalfailure, but not because of any campaign against it.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
Want to learn more?
Go to the definition ofdismal
Go to the definition offailure
See other collocations withfailure