MALFUNCTIONING Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

malfunctioning 1 of 2

adjective

as in down

not being in working order a malfunctioning computer cost us days of work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

malfunctioning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of malfunction

as in failing

to fail to function or work properly A software problem is causing the system to malfunction.

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

starting (up)

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of malfunctioning

Adjective

Riders had to evacuate its log ride on seven separate occasions because of issues such as boats colliding or becoming jammed and smoke coming from a malfunctioning part of the ride. — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026 Homeowners reported a swift meeting at which officers discussed a reorganization of their specific duties and the hiring of an elevator expert to fix the chronically malfunctioning, overloaded elevators. — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026 Watching the first episode of Ultimate Girl’s Trip is like riding in a malfunctioning time machine. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 Nuggets, wings, manchurian mix, lentils and chicken were stored above proper holding temperatures in a malfunctioning refrigerator unit. — Vince Basada august 7, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Edmiston arrived on a separate boat to help the group with the malfunctioning vessel, and denies having any role in Wells’ death, his family said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 Oen Sujet’s catalog sounds equally like the product of a random number generator or a malfunctioning algorithm as of a deeply mercurial artist. — Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026 The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has opened an investigation into the owner of a malfunctioning chemical storage tank in Garden Grove that has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents as fire crews race to avoid an explosion. — Sean Emery, Oc Register, 24 May 2026 Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem -- a malfunctioning space toilet. — Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026

Verb

One room of it has recently been converted into a studio of sorts for her partner Mehmet (Metin Akdülger), an experimental musician who is as likely to want to record the sound of a malfunctioning kitchen appliance as to fix it. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026 But helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters raised safety concerns, leading NASA to decide Williams and Wilmore could not return to Earth onboard Calypso. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2026 Merritt Wever does typically excellent work as a harried producer and malfunctioning moral compass on To Catch a Predator. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 Inside the messy lab, malfunctioning doors are the first obstacle. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Deaths apparently caused by malfunctioning or inaccessible doorhandles, have led to regulatory changes in China, prompting the widespread recalls involving nine automakers. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026 But reports suggest initial enrollment takes longer, and has been slowed down by malfunctioning equipment, technical bugs, insufficient personnel, and inconsistent implementation across crossings. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 12 Aug. 2026 Construction workers clung to a malfunctioning crane Friday as its arm collapsed onto the pool deck of a neighboring luxury high-rise in Miami, video shot by a bystander showed. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Park staff told inspectors that the water-recirculation equipment had recently been changed and that the pool filter was malfunctioning and leaking. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for malfunctioning

Adjective

Consequently, even if a down cycle occurs, it is not expected to show the same sharp decline seen in the past.

— Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
Among the 138 teams in FBS, TCU’s offense ranks 93rd in third down conversions, 110th in rushing, and tied for 103rd in first downs.

— Mac Engel October 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of down

Verb

The water main break was the latest in Los Angeles over the last few months as officials struggle with aging infrastructure and failing water systems that have caused major disruptions for motorists and residents.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
After years of bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, and racketeering, Capone went down not for murder or mayhem but for failing to pay taxes.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of failing

Adjective

Drivers say their contract issues center on pay as well as safety issues, including nonfunctioning heaters, loudspeakers and windshield wipers.

— Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Feb. 2023
In 2020, the state of Virginia passed some bills limiting pretextual traffic stops—for example, when police spot nonfunctioning brake or tail lights or hear an overly loud exhaust system.

— Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 30 Jan. 2023

Definition of nonfunctioning

Verb

The co-pilot is alleged to have stabbed the plane’s captain and taken over the flight controls with the intention of crashing it into Ben-Gurion airport.

— Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
An assistant football coach at the University of Connecticut allegedly ordered nine drinks and two ½ bottles of wine before crashing into a tree in Tolland over the summer and leaving the scene, court papers said.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of crashing

Adjective

She was treated at hospitals in Ramallah and Israel for lacerations across her body, a broken rib and four broken vertebrae.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
The desire to move—even to move the broken ankle itself—became, at times, overwhelming.

— Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of broken

Adjective

Subsense showed off a nonfunctional mock-up of a cap that looked like a cross between a baseball cap and a bike helmet.

— Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Days said the focus of the project is not changing the machine's appearance or replacing a piece of Pittsburgh history, but repairing the internal components that have long been nonfunctional.

— Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of nonfunctional

Adjective

If the main engines were to become inoperative, six smaller orbit-control thrusters can still be activated on the lunar surface, providing an alternative pathway for a rapid ascent.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 14 June 2026
And there’s been plenty of media focus since then — including on inoperative toilets.

— Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of inoperative

Adjective

The latest operation has rendered the tools inoperable in what FBI and Justice Department officials said was a blow to the hacking operation.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
On Lanai, one of Hawaii's smallest main islands, storm damage rendered a harbor that supplies much of the food and fuel to its 3,300 residents inoperable.

— GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026

Definition of inoperable

Browse Nearby Words

malfunctioned

malfunctioning

malfunctions

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Malfunctioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malfunctioning. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of malfunctioning

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes