washout
Complete wasted effort
A washout is a failure or disappointment—an event, person, or thing that falls far short of expectations: The picnic was a washout.
The term comes from the literal sense of something washed away by water, as when flooding destroys a road or bridge.
In casual speech, calling someone a washout suggests they've failed to meet their potential: He was a washout as a salesman.
Failure to satisfy expectations
- flopComplete commercial failure
- fiascoHumiliating public failure
- failureLack of success
- debacleSudden, complete failure
bust · dud · anticlimax · defeat · disaster · loser · underperformer · also-ran
Channel carved by flowing water
- gulleyChannel worn by water
- channelPassage for transmission
- scourClean by hard rubbing
- runoffExcess water drainage
sediment · streambank · ravine · soil loss · rut · trench · furrow · undercutting
Severe overflow of water
- downpourIntense precipitation event
- inundationOverwhelming surge of water
- torrentViolent rushing flow
- cloudburstSudden heavy localized rainfall
flash flood · overflow · surge · swamp · gullywasher · stormwater · rainstorm · floodwater
Voiding of plans
- scrubbingCleaning by rubbing hard
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- postponementDelaying to later
- called offStopped before happening
reschedule · termination · discontinuation · cessation · abeyance · scratch
letdown
Failure to satisfy expectations
debacle · bust · dud · anticlimax · defeat · disaster · loser · underperformer · also-ran · non-starter
gully
Channel carved by flowing water
runoff · sediment · streambank · ravine · soil loss · rut · trench · furrow · undercutting · topsoil
deluge
Severe overflow of water
- downpourIntense precipitation event
- inundationOverwhelming surge of water
- torrentViolent rushing flow
cloudburst · flash flood · overflow · surge · swamp · gullywasher · stormwater · rainstorm · floodwater · mudslide
cancellation
Voiding of plans
- scrubbingCleaning by rubbing hard
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- postponementDelaying to later
called off · reschedule · termination · discontinuation · cessation · abeyance · scratch
rinse
Wash without scrubbing
irrigate · lavage · douche · sluice · hose down · spray · dilution · irrigation
- bowling splitsCincinnati, bucket, bedposts, goal posts, Christmas tree
- compound wordsbookmark, breakdown, sunlight, breakup, snowflake
- bowlingbowling pin, bowling ball, bowling pins, bowling balls, bowling lane
- floodsflood damage, flood warning, deluge, flood warnings, flash floods
- failingfail, fails, collapse, flop, bomb
- failuresfailure, failures, flop, flops, bust