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Failure vs Shortcoming - What's the difference?

failure | shortcoming |

As nouns the difference between failure and shortcoming

is that failure is state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success while shortcoming is deficiency.

failure

Noun

(en noun)
  • State or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 5, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool , passage=For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places.}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 23, author=Angelique Chrisafis, work=the Guardian
  • , title= François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election , passage=Sarkozy's total will be seen as a personal failure . It is the first time an outgoing president has failed to win a first-round vote in the past 50 years and makes it harder for Sarkozy to regain momentum.}}
  • An object, person or endeavour in a state of failure or incapable of success.
  • Termination of the ability of an item to perform its required function, breakdown.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
  • , volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.}}

    Synonyms

    * (person incapable of success) loser

    Antonyms

    * (state or condition) success, triumph

    shortcoming

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • deficiency
  • * 2013 , Daniel Taylor, Rickie Lambert's debut goal gives England victory over Scotland'' (in ''The Guardian , 14 August 2013)[http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/aug/14/england-scotland-international-friendly]
  • They were behind twice, first to James Morrison's 11th-minute strike and then Kenny Miller's effort early in the second half. England responded with goals of their own from Theo Walcott and Daniel Welbeck and, on the balance of play, probably deserved the victory. On the flip-side', they could conceivably have lost because of their various ' shortcomings in defence. They also have a goalkeeper, Joe Hart, who is a danger to his own team on nights like these.