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
Noun
From several safety incidents to the Starliner fiasco to bringing in a new CEO amid a massive workers’ strike, the company has endured blow after blow. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2024 But this is a readable, even compelling, account of how an administration flopped (the parking meter fiasco), bullied and scored. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2024 More recently there was this National Public Data fiasco. Ben Guarino, Scientific American, 12 Sep. 2024 The Musk-Trump interview, held on X Spaces, was a fiasco from the get-go. Samantha Allen, Them, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fiasco 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fiasco.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 31 Oct. 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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