Total failure (4)
I believe the answer is:
flop
'total failure' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for flop that I've seen before include "Fiasco" , "Dud - bomb" , "Failure - loll" , "Fall limply - box-office failure" , "Collapse loosely - total failure" .)