outage
gb/ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/ us/ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/
B2
English
leállás, kimaradás, áramszünet
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
an outage; an outage of [a service]; an outage in [an area]; during/after [an outage]
A power outage left thousands of homes without electricity overnight.
Egy áramszünet miatt több ezer otthon maradt áram nélkül egész éjszaka.
The company apologized for the outage that prevented customers from logging in.
A cég elnézést kért a leállásért, amely miatt az ügyfelek nem tudtak bejelentkezni.
Flights were delayed after a brief outage in the airport's computer system.
Learner examples
The outage lasted two hours.
A leállás két órán át tartott.
We had no internet during the outage.
A kimaradás alatt nem volt internetünk.
Common mistake:
Use power outage rather than electricity outage in most everyday contexts. Outage is usually for services or systems, not for a person being absent.
Meaning
Interruption of a service
Collocations
power outage
|internet outage
|service outage
|network outage
|major outage
|widespread outage
|brief outage
|temporary outage
|planned outage
|report an outage
Synonyms
interruption (More general; can refer to almost any break or pause.)
|
blackout (Often used for a loss of electricity or communications, sometimes more dramatic.)
|
failure (Focuses on the system not working, not necessarily the whole period.)
|
downtime (Common in computing and business; emphasizes time when a system is unavailable.)
Antonyms
service (Refers to the system being available and functioning.)
|
uptime (Technical term for time when a system is working and available.)
|
availability (The state of being accessible or usable.)
Themes
utilities
|technology
|communications
|infrastructure
|customer_service
Definition
A time when power, internet, or another service stops working.
A period when a supply, service, or system is not working or available, especially electricity, internet, phone service, or an online service.
Grammar
Dictionary form
outage
IPA
GB/ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/
US/ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/
Syllables & stress
out - age (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (out)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: outage
- Plural: outage, outages
Expressions
internet outage
1/ˈɪntɚnˌɛt ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
Loss of internet service
A time when you cannot use the internet because the service is not working.
Examples
- The internet outage made it impossible to join the video meeting.
- A regional internet outage affected several providers this morning.
- Customers received a credit after the long internet outage.
Learner examples
- There is an internet outage in our area.
- I could not work during the internet outage.
network outage
1/nˈɛtwˌɚk ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
technical
Network not working
A time when a computer or phone network stops working.
Examples
- A network outage prevented employees from accessing shared files.
- The carrier blamed the dropped calls on a network outage.
- Engineers restored service after a major network outage.
Learner examples
- The office had a network outage.
- Phones stopped working during the network outage.
outage map
1/ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ mˈæp/
fixed phrase
Map showing outages
A map that shows where power or service is not working.
Examples
- Check the outage map to see whether your neighborhood is affected.
- The utility updated its outage map every fifteen minutes.
- According to the outage map, power should be restored by 8 p.m.
Learner examples
- I checked the outage map.
- The outage map shows our street.
planned outage
1/plˈænd ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
Scheduled service interruption
A service interruption that the company arranges in advance to do work on the system.
Examples
- The website will be unavailable during a planned outage on Sunday morning.
- Residents were notified of a planned outage for electrical maintenance.
- The planned outage is expected to last about thirty minutes.
Learner examples
- There is a planned outage tonight.
- The company told us about the planned outage.
power outage
1/pˈaʊɚ ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
Loss of electricity
A time when the electricity stops working.
Examples
- The storm caused a power outage across the city.
- Keep a flashlight at home in case of a power outage.
- The power outage lasted until early morning.
Learner examples
- We had a power outage last night.
- The lights went off during the power outage.
report an outage
1/ɹɪpˈɔɹt ən ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
Notify about service loss
To tell the service company that something has stopped working.
Examples
- You can report an outage through the utility company's app.
- Several customers reported an outage after their internet went down.
- Call this number to report an outage in your neighborhood.
Learner examples
- I called to report an outage.
- You can report an outage online.
rolling outage
1/ɹˈoʊlɪŋ ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
Rotating electricity shutoff
A power cut that happens in different areas at different times so the electrical system can keep working.
Examples
- The utility warned that rolling outages could occur during the heat wave.
- Rolling outages were introduced to protect the grid from a total failure.
- Some neighborhoods lost power for an hour during the rolling outage plan.
Learner examples
- The city had rolling outages in the afternoon.
- Our area was next in the rolling outage schedule.
service outage
1/sˈɚvɪs ˈaʊtɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
Service not available
A time when a service that people use stops working.
Examples
- The bank's app was unavailable because of a service outage.
- The provider said the service outage affected only a small number of customers.
- Text alerts will notify users of any service outage.
Learner examples
- The website had a service outage.
- Many customers called about the service outage.