Debacle
/deɪˈbɑːkəl/
Definitions
A sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.
/deɪˈbɑːkəl/
A sudden and disastrous collapse or failure.
The disastrous invasion quickly turned into a military debacle.
💡 Simply: Imagine a big party that goes totally wrong, like the cake falls, the music stops, and everyone is arguing. That's a debacle!
👶 For kids: When something goes really, really wrong and makes a big mess, that's a debacle!
More Examples
The company suffered a financial debacle after its risky investments failed.
The meeting quickly descended into a debacle of accusations and counter-accusations.
How It's Used
"The political scandal resulted in a complete debacle for the ruling party."
"The company's new product launch was a complete debacle, with technical issues and poor reception."
"The surprise attack was a military debacle that no one saw coming."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Antonyms
From French *débâcle*, meaning 'a breaking up (of ice); a fiasco'. Derived from *débâcler*, 'to unbar, release'.
The word *debacle* has been used in English since the early 19th century, initially referring to the breaking up of ice in a river, but quickly evolved to represent more general collapses.
Memory tip
Think of a *de-buckle*; everything falls apart and goes wrong.
Word Origin
"a breaking up, a fiasco"