fiasco

[ fee-as-koh -ah-skoh ]

noun

, plural fi·as·cos, fi·as·coes.

1. a complete and ignominious failure.

   Synonyms: bomb, flop, debacle, catastrophe, disaster

2. a round-bottomed glass flask for wine, especially Chianti, fitted with a woven, protective raffia basket that also enables the bottle to stand upright.

fiasco

/ fɪˈæskəʊ /

noun

1. a complete failure, esp one that is ignominious or humiliating

Word History and Origins

Origin of fiasco¹

1850–55; < Italian: literally, bottle < Germanic ( flask ¹ ); sense “failure” from Italian phrase far fiasco to fail, literally, to make a bottle, idiom of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of fiasco¹

C19: from Italian, literally: flask ; sense development obscure

Example Sentences

The low point of Carsley's time in charge, which will end after the Uefa Nations League meeting with the Republic Of Ireland at Wembley on Sunday, was the fiasco of the home defeat to Greece in October, a loss mainly engineered by his own madcap, non-striker, team selection.

From BBC

Aleasha Lancaster said three of her health T-level classmates dropped out after the exams fiasco in 2022.

From BBC

Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year after an all-you-can-eat shrimp fiasco contributed to financial losses; Rubio’s Coastal Grill did the same following the abrupt closure of 48 locations in California.

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Los Angeles Times

Australian media have described it as a "fiasco" and "debacle" while opposition leader Dean Winter called it the "biggest infrastructure stuff-up" in the state's history.

From BBC

Related Words

• blunder
• breakdown
• debacle
• disaster
• embarrassment
• failure
• farce
• flap
• flop
• mess
• stunt
• washout