different between blunder vs failure

English

Etymology

From Middle English blunder, blonder (“disturbance, strife”), from Middle English blundren, blondren (verb), which itself is partly from Middle English blondren, a frequentative form of Middle English blonden, blanden ("to mix; mix up"; corresponding to blend +? -er); and partly from Middle English blundren, a frequentative form of Middle English blunden (“to stagger; stumble”), from Old Norse blunda (“to shut the eyes; doze”).

Cognates include Norwegian blunda (“to shut the eyes; doze”), dialectal Swedish blundra (“to act blindly or rashly”), Danish blunde (“to blink”) or blunde (“to take a nap”). Related to English blind.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?bl?n.d?(?)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?bl?n.d?/
• Rhymes: -?nd?(?)

Noun

blunder (plural blunders)

1. A clumsy or embarrassing mistake.
2. (chess) A very bad move, usually caused by some tactical oversight.

Synonyms

• (error): blooper, goof, see also Thesaurus:error

Derived terms

• blunderfest
• blundersome

Descendants

• ? Dutch: blunder
• ? Swedish: blunder

Translations

Verb

blunder (third-person singular simple present blunders, present participle blundering, simple past and past participle blundered)

1. (intransitive) To make a clumsy or stupid mistake.

2. (intransitive) To move blindly or clumsily.
   • October 6, 1759, Oliver Goldsmith, The Bee No. 1

     I was never distinguished for address, and have often even blundered in making my bow.

   • blunders on, and staggers every pace

3. (transitive) To cause to make a mistake.
   • 1714, Humphry Ditton, A discourse concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ

     To blunder an adversary.

4. (transitive) To do or treat in a blundering manner; to confuse.
   • 1676, Edward Stillingfleet, A Defence of the Discourse Concerning the Idolatry Practised in the Church of Rome

     He blunders and confounds all these together.

Translations

Anagrams

• Ledburn, bundler

Danish

Verb

blunder

1. present of blunde

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?b?n.d?r/
• Hyphenation: blun?der
• Rhymes: -?nd?r

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English blunder, from Middle English blonder, blundur (“disturbance, strife”), from Old Norse blunda (“to shut the eyes”). Related to blind.

Noun

blunder m (plural blunders, diminutive blundertje n)

1. A blunder, serious error or mistake.

Related terms

• blunderen

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

blunder

1. first-person singular present indicative of blunderen
2. imperative of blunderen

Anagrams

• brulden

Swedish

Etymology

From English blunder.

Noun

blunder c

1. blunder; clumsy mistake

Declension

Further reading

• blunder in Svensk ordbok.

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman failer, from Old French faillir (“to fail”).

Pronunciation

• (Canada, General American) IPA^(key): /?fe?l.j?/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /?fe?l.j?/

Noun

failure (countable and uncountable, plural failures)

1. State or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.
2. An object, person or endeavour in a state of failure or incapable of success.
3. Termination of the ability of an item to perform its required function; breakdown.
4. Bankruptcy.

Synonyms

• (person incapable of success): loser

Antonyms

• (state or condition): success, triumph

Derived terms

• ground failure
• power failure

Related terms

• fail

Translations