Dysfunctional means not working properly or failing to do what it's supposed to do. A dysfunctional machine keeps breaking down or produces bad results. A dysfunctional team can't work together effectively: members might argue constantly, ignore each other's ideas, or fail to communicate.

You'll often hear about dysfunctional families, where members struggle to support each other in healthy ways, or dysfunctional relationships, where people hurt more than help each other. A classroom becomes dysfunctional when students can't focus and the teacher can't teach effectively.

The opposite is functional, meaning working as intended. A functional basketball team passes the ball, plays defense together, and supports each member. A functional computer runs smoothly without crashes or errors.

When something is dysfunctional, it needs fixing. Sometimes that means repairing what's broken, changing how people interact, or establishing clearer rules and expectations. Recognizing that something isn't working properly is the first step toward making it work better again.