Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense fails, present participle failing, past tense, past participle failed
1. verb
If you fail to do something that you were trying to do, you are unable to do it or do not succeed in doing it.
The Workers' Party failed to win a single governorship. [VERB to-infinitive]
He failed in his attempt to take control of the company. [VERB + in]
Many of us have tried to lose weight and failed miserably. [VERB]
The truth is, I'm a failed comedy writer really. [VERB-ed]
2. verb
If an activity, attempt, or plan fails, it is not successful.
We tried to develop plans for them to get along, which all failed miserably. [VERB]
He was afraid the revolution they had started would fail. [VERB]
Scotch-Irish emigration began with the failed harvest of 1717. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: be unsuccessful, founder, fall flat, come to nothing More Synonyms of fail
3. verb
If someone or something fails to do a particular thing that they should have done, they do not do it.
[formal]
Some schools fail to set any homework. [VERB to-infinitive]
He failed to file tax returns for 1982. [VERB to-infinitive]
The bomb failed to explode. [VERB to-infinitive]
4. verb
If something fails, it stops working properly, or does not do what it is supposed to do.
The lights mysteriously failed, and we stumbled around in complete darkness. [VERB]
In fact many food crops failed because of the drought. [VERB]
Synonyms: wither, perish, sag, droop More Synonyms of fail
5. verb
If a business, organization, or system fails, it becomes unable to continue in operation or in existence.
[business]
So far this year, 104 banks have failed. [VERB]
...a failed hotel business. [VERB-ed]
Who wants to buy a computer from a failing company? [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: go bankrupt, crash, collapse, fold [informal] More Synonyms of fail
6. verb
If something such as your health or a physical quality is failing, it is becoming gradually weaker or less effective.
He was 58, and his health was failing rapidly. [VERB]
Here in the hills, the light failed more quickly. [VERB]
An apparently failing memory is damaging for a national leader. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: give out, disappear, fade, dim More Synonyms of fail
7. verb
If someone fails you, they do not do what you had expected or trusted them to do.
We waited twenty-one years, don't fail us now. [VERB noun]
...communities who feel that the political system has failed them. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: disappoint, abandon, desert, neglect More Synonyms of fail
8. verb
If someone fails in their duty or fails in their responsibilities, they do not do everything that they have a duty or a responsibility to do.
Lawyers are accused of failing in their duties to advise clients of their rights. [VERBin noun]
If we did not report what was happening in the country, we would be failing in ourduty. [VERB + in]
9. verb
If a quality or ability that you have fails you, or if it fails, it is not good enough in a particular situation to enable you to do what you want to do.
For once, the artist's fertile imagination failed him. [VERB noun]
Their courage failed a few steps short and they came running back. [VERB]
10. verb
If someone fails a test, examination, or course, they perform badly in it and do not reach the standard that is required.
I lived in fear of failing my end-of-term exams. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: not pass, be unsuccessful, flunk [informal], screw up [informal] More Synonyms of fail
Fail is also a noun.
It's the difference between a pass and a fail.
exam
11. verb
If someone fails you in a test, examination, or course, they judge that you have not reached a highenough standard in it.
...the two men who had failed him during his first year of law school. [VERB noun]
12.
See if all else fails
13.
See I fail to see/I fail to understand
14.
See without fail
15.
See without fail
More Synonyms of fail
fail in British English1
(feɪl)
verb
1.
to be unsuccessful in an attempt (at something or to do something)
2. (intransitive)
to stop operating or working properly
the steering failed suddenly
3.
to judge or be judged as being below the officially accepted standard required for success in (a course, examination, etc)
4. (transitive)
to prove disappointing, undependable, or useless to (someone)
5. (transitive)
to neglect or be unable (to do something)
6. (intransitive)
to prove partly or completely insufficient in quantity, duration, or extent
7. (intransitive)
to weaken; fade away
8. (intransitive)
to go bankrupt or become insolvent
noun
9.
a failure to attain the required standard, as in an examination
10. without fail
Word origin
C13: from Old French faillir, ultimately from Latin fallere to disappoint; probably related to Greek phēlos deceitful
fail in British English2
(fel)
noun
Scottish
a turf; sod
Word origin
perhaps from Scottish Gaelic fàl
fail in American English
(feɪl)
verb intransitive
1.
to be lacking or insufficient; fall short
the water supply is failing
2.
to lose power or strength; weaken; die away
3.
to stop operating or working
the brakes failed
4.
to be deficient or negligent in an obligation, duty, or expectation; default
5.
to be unsuccessful in obtaining a desired end; be unable to do or become; miss
6.
to become bankrupt
7. Education
to get a grade of failure; not pass
verb transitive
8.
to be useless or not helpful to; be inadequate for; disappoint
9.
to leave; abandon
his courage failed him
10.
to miss, neglect, or omit: used with an infinitive
he failed to go
11. Education
a.
to give a grade of failure to (a pupil)
b.
to get a grade of failure in (a subject)
noun
12.
failure
now only in the phrase without fail, without failing (to occur, do something, etc.)
Idioms:
fail of
Word origin
ME failen < OFr faillir, to fail, miss < L fallere, to deceive, disappoint < IE base *ĝhwel-, to bend, deviate > Sans hválati, (he) loses the way, errs, Gr phēloein, to deceive
Examples of 'fail' in a sentence
fail
Yet it was only after his business failed that the real problems began.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
What he failed to get as an active member he would not get as a departing member.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Councils have applied but either withdrew their applications or failed to win approval.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Failing health bodies will be named and shamed when the cancer data is officially released this month.
The Sun (2016)
They raised the alarm when he failed to make contact again.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Should the company fail, the tax treatment of the loss for your brother will also differ.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The online quote was meaningless when I failed to pass a credit check.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Getting a massage, you would think, is something impossible to fail at.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Last week a judge found that the ministry had failed in its duty.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Affairs tend to happen when this has been attempted and failed or not attempted at all.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
When his last business failed he became bankrupt.
The Sun (2012)
It sustained her in the last years when failing health was increasing her physical dependency.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
You can try hard at something and still fail.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Results are presented in a pass or fail format.
The Sun (2011)
What is the point of an examination if nobody fails?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He had been warned again and again but failed to take action.
The Sun (2012)
The vast majority of new businesses fail.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But will this be yet another flotation that fails to get off the ground?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
You are not taken seriously unless you have tried something and failed.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Airlines are also being accused of failing to pass on savings.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The claimant was a student of the university and had failed his examinations a few times.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Forgive us for failing to take the gospel to all the peoples of the world.
Christianity Today (2000)
He intends to sue the hospital for failing in its duty of care.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This is a systemic failing that health service managers and politicians of all parties recognise but struggle to address.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The attempts failed after staff intervened.
The Sun (2006)
Reading have failed to win any of their 10 league games this season.
The Sun (2012)
Most employees get a bit miffed when the company chairman fails to mention them personally in his account of a record third quarter.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He wanted to study architecture, but he failed to win a scholarship.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It makes me laugh if foreign players fail to make an instant impact and the manager who signed him gets it in the neck.
The Sun (2006)
I had just spent my last buck buying a failing company.
Kiam, Victor Going For It!: How to Succeed As an Entrepreneur (1986)
He failed to make the qualifying distance to get through to the final throws for the medals, finishing twelfth and a dejected last.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
fail
British English: fail /feɪl/ VERB
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.
American English: fail
Arabic: يَفْشَلُ
Brazilian Portuguese: falhar
Chinese: 失败
Croatian: ne uspjeti
Czech: neuspět
Danish: slå fejl
Dutch: falen
European Spanish: no + infinitivo
Finnish: epäonnistua
French: échouer
German: scheitern
Greek: αποτυγχάνω
Italian: fallire
Japanese: 失敗する
Korean: 실패하다
Norwegian: mislykkes
Polish: zawieść
European Portuguese: falhar
Romanian: a eșua
Russian: потерпеть неудачу
Latin American Spanish: fracasar
Swedish: misslyckas
Thai: ล้มเหลว
Turkish: başarısız olmak
Ukrainian: зазнавати невдачі
Vietnamese: thất bại
All related terms of 'fail'
fail of
to fail to achieve ; be without
epic fail
(esp in the language of social media ) a complete failure ; used frequently as an interjection
fail-safe
Something that is fail-safe is designed or made in such a way that nothing dangerous can happen if a part of it goes wrong .
pass-fail
of or designating a grading system in which “ pass ” or “ fail ” is recorded instead of a numerical or letter grade
Fianna Fáil
one of the major Irish political parties, founded by de Valera in 1926 as a republican party
without fail
You use without fail to emphasize that something always happens .
words fail me
I am too happy , sad , amazed , etc, to express my thoughts
I fail to see/I fail to understand
You can use I fail to see or I fail to understand in order to introduce a statement which indicates that you do not agree with what someone has said or done.
Chinese translation of 'fail'
fail
(feɪl)
vt
[exam, test]没(沒)有通过(過) (méiyǒu tōngguò)
⇒ I failed my driving test twice.我两次驾驶考试都没合格。 (Wǒ liǎng cì jiàshǐ kǎoshì dōu méi hégé.)
[candidate]评(評)定 ... 不及格 (píngdìng ... bù jígé)
⇒ One of the examiners wanted to fail him.其中一位考官想要评定他不及格。 (Qízhōng yī wèi kǎoguān xiǎng yào píngdìng tā bù jígé.)
[leader, system]使失望 (shǐ shīwàng)
⇒ Our leaders have failed us.我们的领导使我们失望。 (Wǒmen de lǐngdǎo shǐ wǒmen shīwàng.)
[courage, memory]失去 (shīqù)
⇒ At the last minute his courage failed him.在关键时刻，他失去了勇气。 (Zài guānjiàn shíkè, tā shīqùle yǒngqì.)
vi
[candidate]没(沒)通过(過) (méi tōngguò)
⇒ "Did you pass?" — "No, I failed.""你过了吗？" "没过。" ("Nǐ guòle ma?" "Méi guò.")
[attempt, plan, remedy]失败(敗) (shībài)
⇒ The attempt to bribe the clerk had failed.贿赂职员的尝试失败了。 (Huìlù zhíyuán de chángshì shībài le.)
[brakes]失灵(靈) (shīlíng)
⇒ The brakes failed and his car crashed into a tree.由于刹车失灵，他的车撞树上了。 (Yóuyú shāchē shīlíng, tā de chē zhuàng shù shang le.)
[eyesight, health]衰退 (shuāituì)
⇒ They go and read to people whose sight is failing.他们给那些视力衰退的人读书听。 (Tāmen gěi nàxiē shìlì shuāituì de rén dúshū tīng.)
[light]变(變)暗 (biàn àn)
⇒ In a few hours the light will fail.几个小时以后，天色就会变暗。 (Jǐ gè xiǎoshí yǐhòu, tiānsè jiù huì biàn àn.)
to fail to do sth (= not succeed) 未能做某事 (wèi néng zuò mǒushì)
⇒ The England team failed to win a place in the finals.英格兰队未能进入决赛。 (Yīnggélán duì wèi néng jìnrù juésài.)
(= neglect) 没(沒)有做某事 (méiyǒu zuò mǒushì)
⇒ The bomb failed to explode.炸弹没有爆炸。 (Zhàdàn méiyǒu bàozhà.)
without fail (= definitely) 一定 (yīdìng)
⇒ Don't worry, I'll be there without fail.别担心，我一定会去。 (Bié dānxīn, wǒ yīdìng huì qù.)
(= without exception) 毫无(無)例外 (háo wú lìwài)
⇒ He attended every meeting without fail.他每次会议都参加，没有例外的。 (Tā měi cì huìyì dōu cānjiā, méiyǒu lìwài de.)
1 (verb)
Definition
to be unsuccessful in an attempt
He was afraid the revolution they had started would fail.
Synonyms
be unsuccessful
founder
The talks have foundered.
fall flat
come to nothing
fall
miss
go down
break down
Their partnership broke down after too many disagreements.
flop (informal)
The film flopped badly at the box office.
be defeated
fall short
fall through
The deal fell through.
fall short of
fizzle out (informal)
come unstuck
run aground
miscarry
My career miscarried when I thought I had everything.
be in vain
misfire
fall by the wayside
go astray
come to grief
So many marriages have come to grief over lack of money.
come a cropper (informal)
bite the dust
Her first marriage bit the dust because of irreconcilable differences.
go up in smoke
go belly-up (slang)
come to naught
lay an egg (slang, mainly US, Canadian)
go by the board
not make the grade (informal)
go down like a lead balloon (informal)
turn out badly
fall flat on your face
meet with disaster
be found lacking or wanting
Opposites
grow
,
pass
,
succeed
,
triumph
,
strengthen
,
thrive
,
flourish
,
bloom
,
prosper
,
have legs (informal)
2 (verb)
Definition
to prove disappointing or useless to someone
We waited twenty-one years; don't fail us now.
Synonyms
disappoint
He said that he was surprised and disappointed by the decision.
abandon
She claimed that her friends had abandoned her.
desert
Poor farmers are deserting their fields and looking for jobs.
neglect
She neglected to inform me of her change of plans.
omit
She had omitted to tell him she was leaving.
let down
forsake
I still love you and would never forsake you.
turn your back on
be disloyal to
break your word
forget
Don't forget that all dogs need a supply of water.
3 (verb)
Definition
to stop operating
The lights mysteriously failed.
Synonyms
stop working
stop
die
The engine coughed, spluttered, and died.
give up
break down
Their car broke down.
cease
A small number of firms have ceased trading.
stall
cut out
malfunction
Radiation can cause microprocessors to malfunction.
conk out (informal)
crash
go on the blink (informal)
go phut
4 (verb)
In fact many food crops failed because of the drought.
Synonyms
wither
Farmers have watched their crops wither because of the drought.
perish
The rubber lining had perished.
sag
He shrugged and sagged into a chair.
droop
Support for him is beginning to droop amongst voters.
waste away
The plants are just wasting away in this heat.
shrivel up
5 (verb)
Definition
to go bankrupt
So far this year, 104 banks have failed.
Synonyms
go bankrupt
crash
When the market crashed they assumed the deal would be cancelled.
collapse
His business empire collapsed under a massive burden of debt.
fold (informal)
The company folded in 1990.
close down
go under
If one firm goes under it could provoke a cascade of bankruptcies.
go bust (informal)
Hundreds of restaurants went bust last year.
go out of business
be wound up
go broke (informal)
go to the wall
Even big companies are going to the wall these days.
go into receivership
go into liquidation
become insolvent
smash
6 (verb)
He was 93 and his health was failing rapidly.
Synonyms
decline
a declining birth rate
fade
weaken
The storm was finally beginning to weaken.
Family structures are weakening and breaking up.
deteriorate
There are fears that the situation may deteriorate.
dwindle
The factory's workforce has dwindled.
sicken
degenerate
The argument degenerated into a fist fight.
fall apart at the seams
The university system is falling apart at the seams.
be on your last legs (informal)
7 (verb)
Definition
to stop operating
Here in the hills, the light failed more quickly.
Synonyms
give out
disappear
fade
After that all her worries faded away.
dim
Their memory of what happened has dimmed.
dwindle
wane
His interest in art to wane.
gutter
languish
peter out
The strike seemed to be petering out.
die away
The sound died away.
grow dim
sink
Our hopes were sinking fast.
8 (verb)
Definition
to judge or be judged as being below the officially accepted standard required in a course or examination
I lived in fear of failing my end-of-term exams.
Synonyms
not pass
be unsuccessful
flunk (informal)
screw up (informal)
wash out
underperform
not make the grade
not come up to scratch
underachieve
not come up to the mark (informal)
phrase
See without fail
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abandon
Definition
to desert or leave
She claimed that her friends had abandoned her.
Synonyms
leave,
strand,
ditch (slang),
leave behind,
walk out on,
forsake,
jilt,
run out on,
throw over,
turn your back on,
desert,
dump,
leave high and dry,
leave in the lurch,
let someone stew in their own juice
in the sense of bite the dust
Definition
to stop functioning
Her first marriage bit the dust because of irreconcilable differences.
Synonyms
fail,
flop (informal),
fall through,
be unsuccessful,
go down,
founder,
fall flat,
come to nothing,
fizzle out (informal),
come unstuck,
run aground,
come to grief,
come a cropper (informal),
go up in smoke,
go belly-up (slang),
come to naught,
not make the grade (informal),
meet with disaster
in the sense of break down
Their partnership broke down after too many disagreements.