critical failure

[ krit-i-kuhl feyl-yer ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a movie, song, or the like that is received very unfavorably by professional critics:
The director’s new film is a modest rebound from the commercial and critical failure of the previous one.
a malfunction of a piece of equipment, program, etc., that halts or severely impairs its operation:
We need an overhaul of security protocols to avoid another critical failure of the system.
Engineers analyzed the root causes of these critical failures of the machinery so as to address them with improved design.
critical miss, critical fail. (in role-playing games) a move that harms the player who made it or does not inflict the intended damage on an opponent, usually due to a particularly low roll of the die or dice:
Rolling a one is a critical failure.

Browse