mislykket

Mislykket is a Norwegian adjective meaning "unsuccessful" or "failed." It is used to describe plans, attempts, projects, or outcomes that did not achieve their intended result. The term is common in everyday language, journalism, and literature, and can be found in both Bokmål and Nynorsk contexts, though the spelling remains the same.

Etymology and grammar: Mislykket is formed from the prefix mis- (not, wrong) attached to lykkes (to succeed). The resulting past participle functions as an adjective and can modify nouns in various number and definiteness forms. Examples include "en mislykket plan," "et mislykket prosjekt" for singular indef., and "mislykkede planer" for plural indef. In definite constructions, you might encounter forms like "den mislykkede planen" or "de mislykkede planene."

Usage and examples: Mislykket describes outcomes that failed to reach their goals. Common collocations include mislykket forsøk (a failed attempt), mislykket prosjekt (a failed project), mislykket eksperiment (a failed experiment), and mislykket investering (a failed investment). Predicative use is also possible: "Planen var mislykket."

Related terms: The noun mislykkelse or fiasko can express the state or instance of failure. A closely related Danish form is also mislykket, used with the same meaning in Danish.

Cross-language note: The word has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, with Danish sharing the same spelling and similar usage. In Swedish, the closest equivalent is misslyckad.