failure
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failure
The failure of a plan or undertaking, or the absence of the desired success.
Trotz großer Anstrengungen endete das Projekt in einem kompletten Misserfolg.
Despite great efforts, the project ended in complete failure.
The prefix 'miss-' expresses that something is bad, wrong, or negative. 'Misserfolg' (failure) is the direct opposite of 'Erfolg' (success) and is formed with this prefix.
Die negative Vorsilbe „miss-“ findet man auch in Wörtern wie „Missverständnis“ oder „misstrauen“.
The negative prefix 'miss-' is also found in words like 'Missverständnis' (misunderstanding) or 'misstrauen' (to mistrust).
'Misserfolg' (failure) is often combined with verbs that describe the result or the experience. Common phrases are 'ein Misserfolg sein' (to be a failure), 'in einem Misserfolg enden' (to end in failure), or 'einen Misserfolg erleiden' (to suffer a failure).
Die Einführung des neuen Produkts endete in einem finanziellen Misserfolg.
The launch of the new product ended in financial failure.
To emphasize the extent of the failure, 'Misserfolg' (failure) is often used with intensifying adjectives. Typical phrases are 'ein großer Misserfolg' (a big failure), 'ein völliger Misserfolg' (a complete failure), or 'ein totaler Misserfolg' (a total failure).
Für den Trainer war das frühe Ausscheiden seiner Mannschaft ein totaler Misserfolg.
For the coach, his team's early elimination was a total failure.
success
'der Erfolg' and 'der Misserfolg' both describe the result of an effort or a plan. 'Erfolg' means that you have achieved a goal or that something has gone well. 'Misserfolg' means that the goal was not achieved or the plan failed. So the contrast is clear: success stands for a positive result, failure for a negative result.
Trotz langer Vorbereitung war die erste Bewerbung ein Misserfolg.
Despite a long period of preparation, the first application was a failure.
Der Erfolg des Projekts zeigt, dass die gute Planung wichtig war.
The success of the project shows that good planning was important.