heart failure

noun

1
: a condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood at an adequate rate or in adequate volume
2
: cessation of heartbeat : death

Examples of heart failure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Sometimes a precise diagnosis was beside the point; a patient might come in with shortness of breath and low oxygen levels and be treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, and pneumonia. Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 In a letter to the Buffalo Sabres community, Dahlin shared that his 25-year-old fiancée, Carolina Matovac, suffered heart failure and underwent a heart transplant while in the south of France. Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025 In cardiology, guidelines for heart failure shift frequently. Anna Forsythe, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 The therapy could shift the standard of care for heart failure patients in particular. New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heart failure

Word History

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heart failure was in 1574

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Cite this Entry

“Heart failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heart%20failure. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

heart failure

noun
1
: a condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood at an adequate rate or in adequate volume compare angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, coronary failure, heart attack
2
: cessation of heartbeat : death

More from Merriam-Webster on heart failure

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