faulty

adjective

ˈfȯl-tē 

faultier; faultiest

: marked by fault or defect : imperfect

faultily

ˈfȯl-tə-lē 

adverb

faultiness

ˈfȯl-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of faulty

• defective

Examples of faulty in a Sentence

the cause of the plane crash was traced to faulty wiring

Recent Examples on the Web

Besides faulty lactose digestion, nonwhite bodies were accused of other failures, too, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency, an inability to digest alcohol quickly. — Hilary Smith, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026

After testing what appears to be a faulty metal detector at the football field, the pigheaded space cop crashes Rushville’s town-hall meeting and is under the impression that its leader, Sheriff Kerry Kane, is talking about him. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

Boeing has admitted fault in these tragedies, attributing the cause of the crashes to a faulty Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

When ​dropping the vandalism charges, Pirro blamed the deterioration on faulty installation. — Reuters, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for faulty

• salty

Kids Definition

faulty

adjective

ˈfȯl-tē 

faultier; faultiest

: having a fault or weakness : imperfect

faultily

-tə-lē 

adverb

faultiness

-tē-nəs 

noun