resounding failure

USAGE SUMMARY

"resounding failure" is a correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It is often used in the context of a complete or comprehensive failure, most often in the political, academic, or business sphere. For example, "The government's plan to stabilize the economy was a resounding failure."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Science

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

His only attempt at a major opera, "Die Hochzeit des Camacho," proved a resounding failure.

The New York Times - Books

Resounding failure struck down one of the two magnificent Flemish manuscripts consigned from the legendary Chatsworth collection.

The New York Times - Arts

As if to confirm their judgment, the national government of Evo Morales, the socialist president, felt obliged to take out full-page newspaper advertisements declaring the referendum a "resounding failure".In theory, the voters approved a plan to set up an elected regional assembly that would assume many of the powers of the central government.

The Economist

Sputnik was the first artificial satellite in orbit around the Earth, and the surprise of its successful launch, compounded by the resounding failure of Project Vanguard to launch an American satellite after two attempts, has been dubbed the "Sputnik crisis" and was the impetus for the beginning of the Space Race.

Wikipedia

It was also a resounding failure.

Harvard Business Review

His personal efforts seem to have been a resounding failure.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

23 human-written examples

When I arrived in the US in June 2006, I was anticipating a steady sinecure churning out tales for the back half of the Guardian's broadsheet on the quirks, successes and resounding failures of America's corporate world.

The Guardian - Business

It is the duty of the international community, and especially the West, to accompany the change in Libya to success, instead of throwing away the Libyan experience in the dustbin of other resounding failures.

HuffPost

It is extremely unlikely that Paris will be either a resounding success or an abysmal failure.

The Washington Post

Sure, it burst spectacularly, but as Alan Greenspan once pointed out, it was not a market failure, it was a resounding success.

TechCrunch

The congress was called after the Socialists' resounding defeat in local elections and Mr. Milosevic's failure in the race for Yugoslav president on Sept. 24.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "resounding failure" to emphasize the comprehensive and undeniable nature of a failure, particularly when it has broad impact or visibility.

Common error

While "resounding failure" is appropriate for formal analysis and reporting, avoid using it in casual conversations where a simpler term like "big mistake" or "didn't work out" would be more fitting.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "resounding failure" is to act as a noun phrase, typically serving as a subject complement or object in a sentence. Ludwig AI confirms its appropriate usage across numerous contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Formal & Business

11%

Science

9%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Academia

4%

Encyclopedias

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "resounding failure" is a commonly used and grammatically correct phrase to describe something that has completely failed. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is appropriate across different fields, with a higher frequency in news and media, but also in formal business, science, encyclopedia, and academic sources. The phrase carries a negative connotation and is used to emphasize the extent and undeniable nature of the failure. When choosing alternatives, consider "complete fiasco" or "abject failure" for similar emphasis, while avoiding overuse in casual conversations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

abject failure

This emphasizes the humiliating and miserable quality of the failure.

unmitigated disaster

This alternative stresses the absence of anything positive or redeeming in the outcome.

complete fiasco

This alternative suggests a chaotic and embarrassing failure.

spectacular collapse

This suggests a sudden and dramatic failure.

utter catastrophe

This alternative emphasizes the disastrous nature of the failure.

colossal blunder

This alternative suggests a massive error with significant consequences.

total flop

This alternative is more informal and suggests a failure to gain any traction or success.

crushing defeat

This alternative highlights the sense of being overcome and beaten.

dismal performance

This alternative focuses on the poor quality of the execution or outcome.

egregious mistake

Focuses on the action and its heavy negative impact

FAQs

How to use "resounding failure" in a sentence?

You can use "resounding failure" to describe situations where something has completely and obviously failed, such as "The new marketing campaign was a "resounding failure", resulting in significant losses for the company."

What can I say instead of "resounding failure"?

You can use alternatives like "complete fiasco", "utter catastrophe", or "abject failure" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "resounding failure"?

"Resounding failure" is best used in formal or analytical contexts where you need to emphasize the magnitude and clarity of a failure. It's suitable for discussing business outcomes, political decisions, or academic results.

What's the difference between "resounding failure" and "partial failure"?

"Resounding failure" indicates a complete and undeniable lack of success, whereas "partial failure" suggests that some aspects of the endeavor were unsuccessful, but others may have achieved some level of success.