不ふ発はつ

ふ

は

つ

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

misfire; failure to fire

Used for guns, explosives, or engines that fail to ignite or fire. Also used metaphorically for plans or efforts that fail to materialize.

銃じゅうが不ふ発はつに終おわった。
The gun misfired.
計けい画かくは不ふ発はつに終おわった。
The plan fizzled out.

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Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が不ふ発はつになるfor a gun, firework, etc. to fail to go off
花はな火びが不ふ発はつになって、観かん客きゃくがため息いきをついた。
The firework failed to go off, and the audience sighed.

Expressions

不ふ発はつに終おわるmisfire; come to nothing; end in failure; fizzle out; fall flat

Kanji

不negative, non-, bad
発departure, discharge, publish

Related words

失しっ敗ぱいN4
失敗 is the general word for any kind of failure, while 不発 specifically describes something (a gun, bomb, plan) that failed to fire or materialize.
空から振ぶり
空振り literally means a swing-and-miss and is used for an effort that produces no effect, while 不発 focuses on something failing to ignite or launch, whether literal or metaphorical.

Opposites

成せい功こうN4
成功 means a plan or attempt succeeds, the opposite of 不発, where it fails to fire or come to fruition.
起き爆ばく
不発 describes an explosive failing to go off, the opposite outcome of a successful 起爆.

Don't confuse with

不ふ振しんN1
不振 describes an ongoing slump or poor performance (e.g. a batter in a slump), whereas 不発 refers to a single failure to fire or produce an effect.

Word family

不ふ発はつ弾だん
unexploded ordnance; UXO; unexploded bomb/shell

Etymology

Compound of 不 (fu, 'not') and 発 (hatsu, 'discharge' or 'fire'). The reading ふはつ follows standard on'yomi.