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défaillant

failing, defective

adjective deh-fah-YAHN Rare

Origin: French 'défaillir' (to fail) + present-participle suffix

Also means

faltering, faint

Usage Note

Défaillant describes something that is malfunctioning or a person who is weakening (e.g. a faltering voice or a fainting person). In legal French, un débiteur défaillant is a defaulting debtor. The feminine form is défaillante.

Examples

"Le système de freinage défaillant a causé l'accident."

Natural Translation

The failing braking system caused the accident.

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