malfunction
nounverbattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən//
Faulty functioning.
noun
- 1
Faulty functioning.
This weekend, as videos of robotaxi malfunctions began appearing on social media, opponents say they are seeing their fears realized.
A former OceanGate scientific director said the Titan submersible suffered a malfunction six days before imploding in June 2023, killing all five people on board.
- 2
Failure to function.
Etymology
From mal- (“bad, incorrect”) + function.
verb
- 1
To function improperly.
She told him the machine was poorly built, but they both knew that she was the one who had malfunctioned.
Due to a communications error, according to gaming officials, the slot machine malfunctioned and didn’t notify Taylor or casino personnel that he was a winner.
The group has started collecting reports of malfunctioning, crashing, or dangerous self-driving cars on its website.
A 39-year-old British woman was killed when a malfunctioning ottoman bed fell on her neck and asphyxiated her, a coroner’s report said.
- 2
To fail to function.
Forms
- plural
- malfunctions
- past tense
- malfunctioned
- past participle
- malfunctioned
- present participle
- malfunctioning
- third person singular
- malfunctions