1fail1 (feɪl
)
Definitions
verb
- to be unsuccessful in an attempt (at something or to do something)
- (intr) to stop operating or working properly ⇒
the steering failed suddenly
- to judge or be judged as being below the officially accepted standard required for success in (a course, examination, etc)
- (tr) to prove disappointing, undependable, or useless to (someone)
- (tr) to neglect or be unable (to do something)
- (intr) to prove partly or completely insufficient in quantity, duration, or extent
- (intr) to weaken; fade away
- (intr) to go bankrupt or become insolvent
noun
- a failure to attain the required standard, as in an examination
- See without fail
Word Origin
C13: from Old French faillir , ultimately from Latin fallere to disappoint; probably related to Greek phēlos deceitfulSynonyms
View thesaurus entry= be unsuccessful
founder,
fall flat,
come to nothing
fall,
miss,
go down,
break down,
flop,
be defeated
fall short,
fall through,
fall short of
fizzle out,
come unstuck,
run aground
miscarry,
be in vain
misfire,
fall by the wayside,
go astray,
come to grief,
come a cropper,
bite the dust,
go up in smoke,
go belly-up come to naught
lay an egg,
go by the board,
not make the grade
go down like a lead balloon,
turn out badly fall flat on your face meet with disaster be found lacking or wanting
=
disappoint,
abandon,
desert,
neglect,
omit,
let down,
forsake,
turn your back on be disloyal to break your word
forget,
= stop working
stop,
die,
give up,
break down,
cease,
stall,
cut out,
malfunction,
conk out,
crash,
go on the blink
go phut,
= go bankrupt
crash,
collapse,
fold,
close down,
go under,
go bust,
go out of business be wound up go broke
go to the wall,
go into receivership go into liquidation become insolvent
smash,
=
decline,
fade,
weaken,
deteriorate,
dwindle,
sicken,
degenerate,
fall apart at the seams be on your last legs
=
give out,
disappear,
fade,
dim,
dwindle,
wane,
gutter,
languish,
peter out,
die away,
grow dim
sink,
= not pass be unsuccessful
flunk,
screw up,
wash out,
underperform,
not make the grade not come up to scratch
underachieve,
not come up to the mark
epic fail! or fail! or you fail!
Definitions
sentence substitute
- informal you have been unsuccessful!
Word Origin
from a message displayed in a Japanese computer game after a player has failed to complete the game successfullyTranslations
- British English:
fail
If you fail or fail to do something that you were trying to do, you do not succeed in doing it.He failed to win enough votes. Many of us have tried to lose weight and have failed miserably.feɪl VERB He failed to win enough votes. Many of us have tried to lose weight and have failed miserably.
- Spanish:
fracasar
v
- French:
échouer
vi
- German:
scheitern
v
- Chinese: 失败 vi
- Arabic: يَفْشَلُ v
- Portuguese: falhar vi
- Russian: потерпеть неудачу vi
- Croatian: propasti v
- Czech: nezdařit (se) vi nedařit (se)
- Danish: slå fejl v
- Dutch: mislukken vi
- Finnish: epäonnistua v
- Greek: αποτυγχάνω v
- Italian: fallire v
- Japanese: 失敗する v
- Korean: 실패하다 vi
- Norwegian: mislykkes v
- Polish: zawieść vi zawodzić
- Brazilian Portuguese: falhar vi
- European Spanish:
fracasar
v
- Swedish: misslyckas vi
- Thai: ล้มเหลว vi
- Turkish: başarısız olmak vi
- Vietnamese: thất bại v
Usage examples
His options were running out even as his physical strength began to fail him.
, Wall Games (1990)But the transplants are often rejected or fail to improve vision.
New Scientist (2003)But the main cause of famine was the Government's decision to sell off of maize reserves and fail to replace them, according to Concern.
Irish Times (2002)It is in the nature of political institutions that they fail to match expectations.
Glasgow Herald (2001)However, some children fail to learn that thought alone is powerless without action.
, BEYOND FEAR (2002)