Meaning & use
moral failing
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
a fault in someone's character or behavior that shows weak moral standards.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a moral failing' or talk about several 'moral failings'.
Patterns
- a moral failing of someone
- moral failings in something
The report described the cover-up as a serious moral failing.
He saw his greed as a personal moral failing and tried to change.
The scandal exposed moral failings at the highest levels of the company.
Word forms
| plural | moral failings |
|---|
Common combinations
- a serious moral failing
- Lying to protect a friend can be seen as a serious moral failing.
- a personal moral failing
- She treated her dishonesty as a personal moral failing.
- expose moral failings
- The investigation exposed moral failings within the organization.
- a moral failing of someone
- Critics called it a moral failing of the entire leadership.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flaw
- Flaw is more general and can describe any imperfection, not just a moral one.
- weakness
- Weakness suggests a lack of strength or resolve, while moral failing focuses on right and wrong.
- vice
- Vice often refers to a bad habit or immoral behavior, and can sound stronger or more old-fashioned.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: moral failing or moral failure?
moral failing vs moral failure
Moral failure often means a failure to act morally, while moral failing usually means a fault in someone's character.
Practice
The judge called the politician's dishonesty a ______.
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'a moral failing' is the correct countable noun phrase. 'Moral fail' is not standard English, 'morally failing' is an adverb plus verb form, and 'moral failed' is ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “moral failing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.