English Reference
Noun

fiasco

n. countable
C1 Advanced US /fiˈæskoʊ/ fi·as·co UK spelling fiascoes, fiascos

n.a complete and embarrassing failure. You use this when something goes wrong in a messy or public way.

n.a complete failure, especially one that is humiliating or ridiculous. Often implies a lack of organization or a series of avoidable errors.


SIMPLE

The school play turned into a total fiasco.

CONTEXTUAL

The product launch was a fiasco because the website crashed within minutes of the announcement.

COMPLEX

What began as a minor logistical oversight quickly escalated into a public relations fiasco that cost the company millions in lost revenue.

Usage

Commonly modified by adjectives like 'total', 'complete', or 'absolute'.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated