what a failed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "what a failed" is not correct in written English.
It seems to be an incomplete expression and does not convey a clear meaning without additional context. Example: "What a failed attempt that was!"

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

MOST people think they know what a failed state looks like.

The Economist

It's a fat scar, a lingering reminder of what a failed experiment Wimbledon 2Day was.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Although the banks were temped to walk away, they may have been worried about what a failed deal might mean for other buyout deals and the markets in general.

Forbes

And what a failed experiment that turned out to be!

Huffington Post

This however does not encompass the entire definition of what a failed state is.

BMC International Health and Human Rights

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Ugh what a fail!

BBC

Update: there's also What A Fail, an iteration of the popular French Vie De Merde, and F*MyLife seems to be heavily 'inspired' by it.

TechCrunch

Recently, a bottle of Cupcake wine appeared in the clutches of Kristen Wiig's character in "Bridesmaids," in which she plays (what else?) a failed cupcake maker.

The New York Times

South Korea's spy service said it thought the estimated explosive yield from the blast was much smaller than what even a failed hydrogen bomb detonation would produce.

The Guardian

When asked what constitutes a pass or fail in their Gold Cup title defence, he says "the idea is to win", but he's "not in the business of deciding what's a pass, what's good enough, what's not, what's a fail.

The Guardian - Sport

But that's kind of the fun in it too -- being able to experiment and try some things out to see what's a fail and what works for you.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "what a failure" or "what a disaster" instead of "what a failed" for grammatically correct and commonly understood expressions.

Common error

Avoid using "failed" directly after "a" because it typically needs a noun to modify. Instead, use the noun form "failure" or a synonym like "disaster".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "what a failed" functions as an incomplete exclamatory expression. According to Ludwig AI, it requires a noun to complete its meaning and be grammatically correct. Examples typically involve adding a noun to describe what specifically is failed.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "what a failed" is grammatically incorrect as it stands and requires a noun to complete its meaning. Ludwig AI suggests that the correct form is often "what a failure", or using "failed" as an adjective modifying a noun (e.g., "what a failed attempt"). While the phrase appears in various sources, its infrequent and often incorrect usage indicates that it should be used with caution. The phrase is primarily used to express disappointment or criticism, and can be made more impactful with precise noun choices.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what a failure

Replaces the adjective "failed" with the noun "failure" for grammatical correctness.

what a disaster

Substitutes "failed" with "disaster", emphasizing the catastrophic nature of the failure.

what an unsuccessful

Replaces "failed" with the synonym "unsuccessful", maintaining a formal tone.

what a fruitless

Uses "fruitless" instead of "failed", highlighting the lack of positive results.

what a futile

Replaces "failed" with "futile", stressing the pointlessness of the effort.

what a botched

Employs "botched" instead of "failed", implying a clumsy or poorly executed attempt.

what a lamentable

Uses "lamentable" instead of "failed", expressing regret or disappointment.

what a regrettable

Replaces "failed" with "regrettable", indicating a cause for sorrow or regret.

what a deficient

Substitutes "failed" with "deficient", highlighting a lack of necessary qualities or elements.

what a disappointing

Replaces "failed" with "disappointing", focusing on the feeling of disillusionment caused by the failure.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "what a failed"?

No, the phrase "what a failed" is grammatically incorrect. A more appropriate phrase would be "what a failure".

What's the difference between "what a failed" and "what a failure"?

"What a failed" is grammatically incorrect, while "what a failure" uses the correct noun form and is grammatically sound.

What can I say instead of "what a failed"?

Instead of "what a failed", you can say "what a failure", "what a disaster", or "what an unsuccessful attempt".

How can I use the word "failed" correctly in a similar expression?

You can use "failed" correctly by adding a noun after it, such as in "what a failed attempt". This provides the necessary context for the adjective "failed" to modify.