die Pleite, -n

Definition & meaning

Pleite is a feminine noun with two common meanings:

1. Bankruptcy or financial ruin: A person or business cannot pay its debts.
   Example: Die Firma ging pleite means “The company went bankrupt.”

2. Failure, flop, or defeat: An unsuccessful attempt or disappointing result, often in informal speech.
   Example: Der Abend war eine Pleite means “The evening was a flop.”

The related adjective pleite means “broke” or “without money” in informal German.

Grammar & Word origin

• Gender: feminine — die Pleite
• Plural: die Pleiten
• In the sense “broke,” pleite is generally used as a predicative adjective: Ich bin pleite (“I’m broke”).
• The word likely came into German through Yiddish or Rotwelsch, from a Hebrew word meaning “escape” or “survivor.” Its precise path into German is uncertain.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

• die Insolvenz ↗ — a formal, legal term for insolvency; more precise and less colloquial than Pleite.
• der Bankrott ↗ — bankruptcy or financial collapse; often more formal or emphatic.
• der Fehlschlag ↗ — a failed attempt or setback, not necessarily involving money.
• der Misserfolg ↗ — lack of success; broader and more neutral than Pleite.

Antonyms

There is no single antonym for every sense. For financial trouble, die Zahlungsfähigkeit ↗ means “solvency” or “ability to pay.” For a failed result, der Erfolg ↗ means “success.”

Common phrases & collocations

• pleite sein ↗ — to be broke
• pleitegehen ↗ — to go bankrupt
• eine Pleite erleben ↗ — to experience a failure or flop
• eine bittere Pleite ↗ — a bitter defeat or major setback