debacle

dɪˈbɑːkəl

Definition

Definition of debacle - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

collapsesudden disastrous collapse

The company faced a debacle after the failed product launch.

catastrophe

collapse

fiasco

ice breakup

Dated

breaking up of ice in a river

Dated

The spring thaw caused a debacle.

breakup

collapse

disintegration

Add a suggestion |

Feedback:

Images of debacle

breaking up of ice in a river

Expressions with debacle

💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.

debacle waiting to happen

situation likely to end in disaster

The untested plan was a debacle waiting to happen.

turn into a debacle

become a complete failure or disaster

The event turned into a debacle due to poor planning.

debacle on all fronts

disaster affecting all areas

The event turned into a debacle on all fronts, with nothing going as planned.

Origin of debacle

French, débâcle (breaking up)

Examples of debacle in a sentence

Their strategy led to a political debacle.
The river's debacle was a spectacular sight.
Fishermen awaited the debacle eagerly.

View all translations of debacle

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.

French:débâcle, ...
German:Zusammenbruch, Eisaufbruch, ...
Italian:disastro, scioglimento, ...
Spanish:desastre, deshielo, ...
Portuguese:desastre, desgelo, ...
Chinese:崩溃, 冰解, ...
Japanese:大失敗, デバクル, ...
Arabic:هَزِيمَة, تَحَطُّم جَلِيد, ...
Hebrew:פִיאַסְקוֹ, הִתְבַּקְּעוּת קֶרַח, ...
Russian:провал, ледоход, ...
Ukrainian:провал, дебакл, ...
Hindi:भारी विफलता, बर्फ का टूटना, ...
Bengali:ধস, ...
Catalan:debacle, desglaç, ...
Czech:fiasko, ledochod, ...
Danish:sammenbrud, isopbrud, ...
Dutch:debacle, ijssmelt, ...
Greek:κατάρρευση, σπάσιμο πάγου, ...
Hungarian:összeomlás, jégzajlás, ...
Khmer:ការបរាជ័យយ៉ាងធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ, ការបាក់បែកទឹកកក, ...
Korean:대실패, 얼음 깨짐, ...
Persian:فاجعه, شکست یخ, ...
Polish:katastrofa, rozpad lodu, ...
Portuguese (BR):desastre, ruptura de gelo, ...
Romanian:prăbușire, deblocare a gheții, ...
Swedish:fiasko, islossning, ...
Thai:ความล่มสลาย, การแตกของน้ำแข็ง, ...
Turkish:çöküş, buz çözülmesi, ...
Vietnamese:thất bại thảm hại, sự tan băng, ...

Browse the dictionary entries starting with “d”:

deathwatch beetle

deb

debacle on all fronts

debacle waiting to happen

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

100,000 expressions & idioms Understand any expression you come across: from corporate jargon like 💬 touch base or ↩️ circle back to everyday expressions such as 🌊 out of the blue or 🦆 lame duck, as well as idioms like 🍲 spill the beans and 🐎 hold your horses.

40,000 images When you search for a concrete noun or object, images help you grasp the meaning at a glance. Try searching for 🧵 puppytooth, 🎠 merry-go-round, ⚜️ fleur-de-lys, or 💤 bunk bed.

Informal language & slang Everyday conversations are packed with informal expressions and slang. Meanings are clearly tagged, so you'll always know when a word is casual. Look up hangry (😋 hungry + 😡 angry), 😎 rizz, 🕹️ noob, or 🔑 low-key.

Abbreviations & acronyms Quickly decode modern abbreviations and acronyms. Go from IDK to OMG in seconds and stay up to date with popular abbreviations such as 🐐 GOAT, 📜 tl;dr, 👀 POV, or 🖥️ AFK.

Regional usage (US / UK) Reverso highlights regional differences between American and British English. You’ll never have to wonder where a word is commonly used: try lift vs. elevator, courgette vs. zucchini, or popular British slang like dodgy or banter. What’s more, when you search for 'color', you’ll immediately see its British counterpart, 'colour'.

Get more than a simple definition

Translations for each meaning View translations alongside each meaning to see how a word is translated in each context. Simply toggle translations ON and choose among 25+ languages. You can also display the translation of definitions or examples into your native language to deepen your understanding.

Synonyms & related words by meaning View synonyms and related words for each meaning, not just for the word as a whole. This helps you choose the most accurate word for your context. Click the

icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.

Multiple examples for every meaning Each meaning comes with three real-life examples to show you how the word is used in different contexts. Click the

icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.

Go from understanding to mastery

Save words for later review Click the

icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the

icon next to it. For example, you might want to save the word “table” as a verb, which means “to postpone”.

Practice with personalized flashcards Reverso automatically transforms your searches and saved words into personalized flashcards and quizzes, featuring high-quality audio and usage examples. This helps you transform terms you only recognize into words you actually use confidently.

Learn with Netflix, YouTube, and your favorite texts With Reverso Chrome extension, transform movies, TV shows, articles, or song lyrics into an interactive lesson. Look up words and expressions in one click on any website and learn with your favorite content.