🇪🇸Spanish Source WordCode: ES

debacle

Pronunciation / Transliteration: deh-bah-kle

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Debacle/deɪˈbɑː.kəl/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #4500 frequency
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🇪🇸 Example Sentence in Spanish:

"La debacle del equipo fue inesperada."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.

    "The company's latest product launch was a complete debacle, leading to significant financial losses."
  2. 2

    A violent disruption or collapse, especially in a social or political context.

    "The political debacle left the nation in turmoil and uncertainty."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the French word débâcle, meaning the breaking up of ice on a river, originating from the verb dé- (un-) and bâcle (bar or barrier). Entered the English language in the early 19th century, expanding its metaphorical scope from a sudden breaking of ice jams to any catastrophic failure or sudden collapse.

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