Pear-shaped is often used to describe a situation or outcome that has turned out to be disappointing or disastrous. There are several synonyms to express this unfortunate scenario. One may describe such an outcome as going awry, going wrong, failing, flopping, or falling short. Other similar expressions include backfiring, misfiring, coming apart at the seams, hitting a snag, or falling flat on its face. In short, whenever something goes pear-shaped, it essentially means that it has not turned out as expected and has ended up being a failure. In such cases, one may use any of these synonyms to express their disappointment and frustration.