Meaning & use
malfunction
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A failure of a machine or system to work properly.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a malfunction' or 'malfunctions'.
Patterns
- a malfunction in something
- a malfunction of something
- cause a malfunction
- due to a malfunction
The plane was grounded because of a malfunction in the navigation system.
A software malfunction caused the cash registers to freeze.
The report blamed the accident on a malfunction of the braking system.
verbintransitive
To fail to work correctly.
Grammar: No object: 'The printer malfunctioned.' You cannot 'malfunction something'.
Patterns
- something malfunctions
- begin to malfunction
- malfunction during something
The elevator malfunctioned and trapped several people inside.
If the sensor malfunctions, the alarm may not sound.
The hard drive began to malfunction after years of heavy use.
Word forms
| third person singular | malfunctions |
|---|---|
| past tense | malfunctioned |
| past participle | malfunctioned |
| -ing form | malfunctioning |
| plural | malfunctions |
Common combinations
- a malfunction in the system
- A malfunction in the system delayed all the flights.
- mechanical malfunction
- The crash was caused by a mechanical malfunction.
- malfunction during operation
- The device may malfunction during operation if it overheats.
- report a malfunction
- Please report any malfunction to the IT department immediately.
Synonyms and how they differ
- breakdown
- A breakdown is often a complete stop, while a malfunction can be partial or intermittent.
- failure
- Failure is broader and can refer to people or plans, not just machines.
- fault
- A fault is a defect in a system or a person's responsibility; malfunction focuses on the failure to work.
Opposites
Word family
- malfunctioning adjective
- Not working correctly, as in 'a malfunctioning heater'.
Commonly confused: malfunction or dysfunction?
malfunction vs dysfunction
Dysfunction is used mainly for biological or social systems (e.g., organ dysfunction), not for machines.
Practice
The technician said the copier ______ because of a paper jam.
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'malfunctioned' matches the past reporting verb 'said'. 'Malfunctioning' would need a helping verb like 'was', and 'malfunctions' is present tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “malfunction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.