fallito

Fallito is an Italian term that can function as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, it means failed or unsuccessful and is formed from the past participle of the verb fallire. As a noun, fallito refers to a person who has failed to achieve a goal; it often carries a pejorative or critical nuance depending on context.

Etymology: Fallire derives from Latin fallere, meaning to deceive or to disappoint, with the sense of failing to reach a target. The past participle fallito is used to describe the result of such failure.

Usage: In ordinary speech, fallito appears in phrases like progetto fallito (a failed project), tentativo fallito (an unsuccessful attempt), or un fallito referring to a person who did not succeed. The term is generally neutral when describing outcomes in journalism, business, or sport, but can be disparaging in informal conversation. It contrasts with riuscito, meaning "successful," or with fallire as the verb to fail.

Related terms: The noun fallimento, meaning the act of failing or a failure, is the more formal term for a defeat, collapse, or bankruptcy, while fallito emphasizes the outcome or the person.

Overall, fallito is a common, flexible term in Italian for describing failure, used across contexts to label outcomes or individuals as unsuccessful, with varying degrees of severity depending on tone.