debacle
de·ba·cle/dɪˈbɑ.kəl/noun
debacle is spelled D-E-B-A-C-L-E: 7 letters and 3 syllables (de·ba·cle). It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, debacle means “An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously, often with humiliating consequences” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of debacle is debacles or débâcles.
How many letters and syllables are in debacle?
| Letters | 7: D-E-B-A-C-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: de·ba·cle |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,073rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is debacle?
Debacle appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce debacle?
- UK /deɪˈbɑː.kəl/
- UK /dɛˈbɑː.kəl/
- US /dɪˈbɑ.kəl/
Debacle has 3 syllables, split de·ba·cle in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-debacle.ogg, En-us-debacle-2.ogg, En-au-debacle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of debacle
- debacles plural
- débâcle
- debâcle
- débacle
- débâcles plural
- débacles plural
- debâcles plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does debacle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously, often with humiliating consequences.
- 2
A breaking up of a natural dam, usually made of ice, by a river and the ensuing rush of water.
noun
- 1
Alternative form of debacle.
noun
- 1
Alternative form of debacle.
noun
- 1
Alternative form of debacle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Debacle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does debacle come from?
From French débâcle, from débâcler (“to unbar; unleash”) from prefix dé- (“un-”) + bâcler (“to dash, bind, bar, block”) [perhaps from unattested Middle French and Old French *bâcler, *bacler (“to hold in place, prop a door or window open”)], from Vulgar Latin *bacculare, from Latin baculum (“rod, staff used for support”), from Proto-Indo-European *bak-. Also attested in Old French desbacler (“to clear a harbour by getting ships unloaded to make room for incoming ships with lading”) and in Occitan baclar (“to close”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).