failure

This page is about the noun "failure", which can be both countable and uncountable

failure → uncountable

Meaning: lack of success in doing something

Example sentence: After many years of failure, our football team won the championship at last.

failure → countable

Meaning: a person or thing that is not successful

Example sentence: The bank robbery was a complete failure, and all the thieves were arrested.

Quick Quiz:

In which sentence is the word "failure" uncountable?

a. Most people in business say they learned more from failure than from success.

b. Most people in business experience a number of failures before finding success.

Contributor: Matt Errey