noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/dɪsˈfʌŋk.ʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 S F AH1 NG K SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A failure to function in an expected or complete manner. Usually refers to a disorder in a bodily organ (e.g. erectile dysfunction), a mental disorder, or the improper behavior of a social group.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: eufunction, function
2
verb
Meaning 2
To fail to function correctly; to malfunction.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, nonstandard
Topics: biology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
(medicine) any disturbance in the functioning of an organ or body part or a disturbance in the functioning of a social group
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
erectile dysfunction
sexual relationship dysfunction
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: disfunction
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: pathology
Narrower terms: erectile dysfunction, male erecticle dysfunction, ED, paralysis, palsy
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dews-? Proto-Indo-European *dus- Proto-Hellenic *dus- Ancient Greek δῠσ- (dŭs-)der. New Latin dys-der. English dys- Old French fonction Middle French functionbor. English function English dysfunction From dys- + function.
Across languages
Translations
26 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
disfunció
— failure to function
Chinese Mandarin:
功能障礙 /功能障碍
(gōngnéng zhàng'ài)
— failure to function
Czech:
dysfunkce
— failure to function
Danish:
dysfunktion
— failure to function
Danish:
funktionsforstyrrelse
— failure to function
Danish:
funktionssvigt
— failure to function
Dutch:
disfunctie
— failure to function
Finnish:
toimintahäiriö
— failure to function
French:
dysfonctionnement
— failure to function
French:
dysfonction
— failure to function
Georgian:
დისფუნქცია
(dispunkcia)
— failure to function
German:
Fehlfunktion
— failure to function
German:
Dysfunktion
— failure to function
Greek:
δυσλειτουργία
(dysleitourgía)
— failure to function
Indonesian:
disfungsi
— failure to function
Italian:
disfunzione
— failure to function
Japanese:
機能不全
(kinōfuzen)
— failure to function
Malay:
disfungsi
— failure to function
Norwegian Bokmål:
dysfunksjon
— failure to function
Norwegian Nynorsk:
dysfunksjon
— failure to function
Polish:
dysfunkcja
— failure to function
Portuguese:
disfunção
— failure to function
Russian:
дисфу́нкция
(disfúnkcija)
— failure to function
Spanish:
disfunción
— failure to function
Swedish:
dysfunktion
— failure to function
Ukrainian:
дисфу́нкція
(dysfúnkcija)
— failure to function