fiasco

1 of 2

noun (1)

fi·​as·​co fē-ˈa-(ˌ)skō How to pronounce fiasco (audio)
also
-ˈä- How to pronounce fiasco (audio)
plural fiascoes
: a complete failure
The critic called the film a fiasco.
… the total fiasco that was his personal life …Margaret Atwood

fiasco

2 of 2

noun (2)

fi·​as·​co fē-ˈä-(ˌ)skō How to pronounce fiasco (audio) -ˈa- How to pronounce fiasco (audio)
plural fiascoes also fiaschi fē-ˈä-(ˌ)skē How to pronounce fiasco (audio)
-ˈa-
: bottle, flask
especially : a bulbous long-necked straw-covered bottle for wine

Examples of fiasco in a Sentence

Noun (1) undaunted by his early fiascoes, he continued his experiments in rocketry
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Over the coming days, the owners of Four Seasons Total Landscaping did their patriotic duty and cashed in on their temporary notoriety, selling souvenirs to commemorate the fiasco; to Trump’s detractors, the debacle epitomized the clownish incompetence that had defined his presidency. Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024 This gradual adoption of Windows on Arm should be a success story, but the dev kit fiasco has overshadowed it. Tom Warren, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2024 Their yacht date, Mark's first solo outing, is a fiasco at sea. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024 As the fiasco surrounding the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) has shown, the regulatory framework adds complexity that can be hard for many students to navigate. Ray Ravaglia, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fiasco 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

French, from Italian, from fare fiasco, literally, to make a bottle

Noun (2)

Italian, from Late Latin flasco bottle — more at flask

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1854, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fiasco was circa 1854

Dictionary Entries Near fiasco

Cite this Entry

“Fiasco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiasco. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fiasco

noun
fi·​as·​co
fē-ˈas-kō
plural fiascoes
: a complete failure

More from Merriam-Webster on fiasco

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