noun

das Scheitern, -

failure · fail

Etwas nicht schaffen oder ein Ziel nicht erreichen.

Definition & meaning

Scheitern has two closely related uses:

As a noun: das Scheitern
It means failure, failing, or the fact that an attempt, plan, or project does not succeed.
- Das Scheitern des Projekts war enttäuschend.
  “The failure of the project was disappointing.”
As a verb: scheitern
It means to fail, to be unsuccessful, or to fall through.
- Der Plan ist gescheitert.
  “The plan failed.”
- Sie scheiterte an der schwierigen Prüfung.
  “She failed because of the difficult examination.”

The verb is commonly used with an + dative to indicate the obstacle or cause:

an etwas scheitern — to fail because of something
Der Versuch scheiterte an fehlender Zeit.
“The attempt failed because of a lack of time.”

In a literal or historical sense, scheitern can also refer to a ship being wrecked or breaking apart.

Grammar & Word origin

Das Scheitern is a neuter noun:

Article: das
Genitive: des Scheiterns
Usually used without a plural, because it describes failure as an abstract concept

It is formed from the infinitive scheitern , used as a nominalized verb. As a verb, it is weak and is normally used with the auxiliary sein in the perfect tense:

Der Plan ist gescheitert.
“The plan has failed.”

The word is historically associated with the idea of something breaking apart or being destroyed. Its modern meaning developed from this literal image to the abstract meaning of an attempt or person not succeeding.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

die Niederlage — defeat; usually refers to losing in a contest, conflict, or competition, whereas Scheitern can describe any unsuccessful attempt.
der Misserfolg — failure or lack of success; more neutral and often used for projects, products, or ventures.
misslingen — to fail or not turn out successfully; often describes an action, plan, or attempt.
fehlschlagen — to fail or go wrong; emphasizes that an intended result was not achieved.
aufgeben — to give up; this is not exactly the same as scheitern, because a person can give up before actually failing.

Antonyms

das Gelingen — success; the successful completion of an attempt or plan.
erfolgreich sein — to be successful; the direct opposite of scheitern when describing a person or undertaking.
der Erfolg — success or a successful result.
gelingen — to succeed; commonly used for plans, attempts, or tasks.