faulty
FOL-tee
Faulty (adj) means not working correctly; having a defect. Example: “The fire was caused by faulty wiring.”
adj
1
Not working correctly; having a defect.
"The fire was caused by faulty wiring."
"I took the faulty kettle back to the shop for a refund."
"The toaster is faulty and keeps popping up far too early."
2
Flawed in reasoning or judgement.
"His argument was based on faulty logic."
"Her faulty memory of the evening led to a lot of confusion."
"The plan rests on a faulty assumption about how many people will come."
How to use faulty
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBroken, defective, or based on a mistake.
Common pairings
faulty wiring
faulty logic
faulty equipment
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Word forms
- Comparative
- faultier
- Superlative
- faultiest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The fire was caused by _____ wiring.
Etymology
From "fault" plus "-y".
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for faulty
See all rhymes for faulty →Frequently asked questions
What does “faulty” mean?
The word “faulty” means not working correctly; having a defect. In plain terms, broken, defective, or based on a mistake.
How do you pronounce “faulty”?
“Faulty” is pronounced FOL-tee (/ˈfɔlti/ in IPA).
How do you use “faulty” in a sentence?
Here is “faulty” used in a sentence: “The fire was caused by faulty wiring.”
What is the opposite of “faulty”?
The opposite of “faulty” — its antonyms — is faultless.
What part of speech is “faulty”?
“Faulty” is an adjective.
Is “faulty” a common word?
“Faulty” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “faulty” have?
“Faulty” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: not working correctly; having a defect.
What is the difference between faulty and defective?
Faulty and defective are close synonyms both describing something that does not work correctly, but defective is more common in technical, legal, and manufacturing contexts, such as a "defective product" recall. Faulty is used more broadly in everyday speech for anything from wiring to reasoning.
What is the difference between faulty and broken?
Broken usually implies something has stopped working entirely or is physically damaged, while faulty can describe something that works intermittently or unreliably due to a defect. A faulty switch might work sometimes; a broken switch does not work at all.
