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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