# dysfunction

/dɪsˈfəŋkʃən/ (US) · /dɪsfˈʌŋkʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dysfunction
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. medical/biological

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a problem that stops a part of your body from working the way it should.

For teachers: impaired or abnormal functioning of a bodily organ or system.

- The doctor explained that the patient's liver dysfunction was caused by a long-term illness.
- Clinical studies suggest that chronic kidney dysfunction can lead to a cascade of secondary complications if not managed through rigorous dietary intervention.

Usage: Often used as an uncountable noun in medical contexts.

### 2. social/family

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

unhealthy or harmful behavior within a group, especially a family.

For teachers: the failure of a social group or family unit to function responsibly or provide a healthy environment.

- The movie explores the dysfunction in a family that refuses to talk about its problems.
- Sociologists argue that systemic dysfunction within the local government contributed to the collapse of the urban renewal project.

Usage: Commonly used to describe interpersonal dynamics in psychology and sociology.

### 3. to fail to work

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to stop working correctly or to behave in a way that is not normal.

For teachers: to fail to function in the intended or expected manner. This verbal use is less common than the noun form.

- The old computer started to dysfunction after the new software was installed.
- When the cooling system began to dysfunction, the engineers were forced to initiate an emergency shutdown of the entire server rack.

Teaching tip: While 'dysfunction' is widely accepted as a noun, using it as a verb is often considered non-standard; 'malfunction' is usually preferred in formal writing.

## Examples

- The family dysfunction caused many arguments at dinner.
- The doctor diagnosed a thyroid dysfunction that explained her sudden weight gain and fatigue.
- The committee attributed the project's failure to a systemic dysfunction in the supply chain rather than individual negligence.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.