- (intransitive) to function imperfectly or irregularly or fail to function
- failure to function or defective functioning
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mal•func•tion /mælˈfʌŋkʃən/USA pronunciation
n.
v. [no object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [countable]
- failure to function properly:They aborted the mission because of a malfunction in the torpedo.
v. [no object]
- to fail to function properly:The torpedo malfunctioned and failed to explode.
mal•func•tion
(mal fungk′shən),USA pronunciation n.
v.i.
- failure to function properly:a malfunction of the liver; the malfunction of a rocket.
v.i.
- to fail to function properly.
- mal- + function 1925–30
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
malfunction /mælˈfʌŋkʃən/ vb
'malfunction' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
correct
- crash
- fail-safe
- mal-
- act
- ateliosis
- break
- diagnose
- diddly
- downtime
- dyscrasia
- familial hypercholesterolemia
- glitch
- goof-up
- jam-up
- misfunction
- motorboating
- physical therapy
- redundant
- rheumatic heart disease
- Wilson's disease
- schistosomiasis
- self-destruct
- self-diagnosis