fail

F0012100 (fāl)v. failed, fail·ing, fails v.intr.1. To prove deficient or lacking; perform ineffectively or inadequately: failed to fulfill their promises; failed in their attempt to reach the summit.2. a. To be unsuccessful: an experiment that failed.b. To be unsuccessful in being acted upon: an idea that failed to be accepted by the board.3. To receive an academic grade below the acceptable minimum.4. To prove insufficient in quantity or duration; give out: The water supply failed during the drought.5. To decline, as in strength or effectiveness: The light began to fail.6. To cease functioning properly: The engine failed.7. To give way or be made otherwise useless as a result of excessive strain: The rusted girders failed and caused the bridge to collapse.8. To become bankrupt or insolvent: Their business failed during the last recession.v.tr.1. To disappoint or prove undependable to: Our sentries failed us.2. To abandon; forsake: His strength failed him.3. To omit to perform (an expected duty, for example): We must not fail our obligation to the earthquake victims.4. To leave undone; neglect: failed to wash the dishes.5. a. To receive an academic grade below the acceptable minimum in (a course, for example): failed algebra twice.b. To give such a grade of failure to (a student): failed me in algebra.6. To be detected by (a drug test) as having used a banned substance.n.1. A failing grade: The student received a fail on the final paper.2. Informal Something that does not achieve the desired result; a failure: My first attempt to make flourless cookies was a big fail.Idiom: without fail1. With no chance of failure: Be here at noon without fail.2. Every single time: "Always we get a good rain on Labor Day, without fail—like clockwork" (Rick Bass). "Whenever he returned to his hut, almost without fail some money was missing from the basket" (Paul Theroux).

[Middle English failen, from Old French faillir, from Vulgar Latin *fallīre, variant of Latin fallere, to deceive.]

fail

(feɪl) vb1. to be unsuccessful in an attempt (at something or to do something)2. (intr) to stop operating or working properly: the steering failed suddenly. 3. (Education) to judge or be judged as being below the officially accepted standard required for success in (a course, examination, etc)4. (tr) to prove disappointing, undependable, or useless to (someone)5. (tr) to neglect or be unable (to do something)6. (intr) to prove partly or completely insufficient in quantity, duration, or extent7. (intr) to weaken; fade away8. (Commerce) (intr) to go bankrupt or become insolventn9. (Education) a failure to attain the required standard, as in an examination10. without fail definitely; with certainty[C13: from Old French faillir, ultimately from Latin fallere to disappoint; probably related to Greek phēlos deceitful]

fail

(fel) nScot a turf; sod[perhaps from Scottish Gaelic fàl]

fail

(feɪl)

v.i. 1. to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved: The experiment failed. 2. to receive less than the passing grade or mark in an examination, class, or course of study. 3. to be or become deficient or lacking; fall short. 4. to lose strength or vigor; become weak. 5. to stop functioning or operating. 6. to dwindle, pass, or die away. 7. to become unable to meet or pay debts or business obligations; become insolvent or bankrupt. 8. (of a building member, structure, machine part, etc.) to break, bend, or be otherwise destroyed or made useless because of an excessive load. v.t. 9. to be unsuccessful in the performance or completion of: He failed to do his duty. 10. to prove of no use or help to: His friends failed him. 11. to receive less than a passing grade or mark in. 12. to declare (a person) unsuccessful in a test or course of study; give less than a passing grade to. n. 13. a stockbroker's inability to deliver or receive security within the required time after sale or purchase. 14. Obs. failure as to performance, occurrence, etc. Idioms: without fail, with certainty; positively. [1175–1225; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French faillir < Latin fallere to deceive, disappoint]

fail

Past participle: failed
Gerund: failing

Imperative
fail
fail

Present
I fail
you fail
he/she/it fails
we fail
you fail
they fail

Preterite
I failed
you failed
he/she/it failed
we failed
you failed
they failed

Present Continuous
I am failing
you are failing
he/she/it is failing
we are failing
you are failing
they are failing

Present Perfect
I have failed
you have failed
he/she/it has failed
we have failed
you have failed
they have failed

Past Continuous
I was failing
you were failing
he/she/it was failing
we were failing
you were failing
they were failing

Past Perfect
I had failed
you had failed
he/she/it had failed
we had failed
you had failed
they had failed

Future
I will fail
you will fail
he/she/it will fail
we will fail
you will fail
they will fail

Future Perfect
I will have failed
you will have failed
he/she/it will have failed
we will have failed
you will have failed
they will have failed

Future Continuous
I will be failing
you will be failing
he/she/it will be failing
we will be failing
you will be failing
they will be failing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been failing
you have been failing
he/she/it has been failing
we have been failing
you have been failing
they have been failing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been failing
you will have been failing
he/she/it will have been failing
we will have been failing
you will have been failing
they will have been failing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been failing
you had been failing
he/she/it had been failing
we had been failing
you had been failing
they had been failing

Conditional
I would fail
you would fail
he/she/it would fail
we would fail
you would fail
they would fail

Past Conditional
I would have failed
you would have failed
he/she/it would have failed
we would have failed
you would have failed
they would have failed

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	fail - fail to do something; leave something undone; "She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib"; "The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account"neglectlose track - fail to keep informed or aware; "She has so many books, she just lost track and cannot find this volume"strike out - put out or be put out by a strikeout; "Oral struck out three batters to close the inning"default, default on - fail to pay upchoke - fail to perform adequately due to tension or agitation; "The team should have won hands down but choked, disappointing the coach and the audience"muff - fail to catch, as of a ballmiss - fail to attend an event or activity; "I missed the concert"; "He missed school for a week"
	2.	fail - be unsuccessful; "Where do today's public schools fail?"; "The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably"go wrong, miscarrytake it on the chin - undergo failure or defeatmiss - fail to reach or get to; "She missed her train"overreach - fail by aiming too high or trying too hardbobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, flub, fluff, foul up, fuck up, louse up, mess up, mishandle, muck up, ball up, spoil, muff, screw up, fumble, blow - make a mess of, destroy or ruin; "I botched the dinner and we had to eat out"; "the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement"strike out - be unsuccessful in an endeavor; "The candidate struck out with his health care plan"fall - suffer defeat, failure, or ruin; "We must stand or fall"; "fall by the wayside"shipwreck - suffer failure, as in some enterprisefall flat, fall through, founder, flop - fail utterly; collapse; "The project foundered"bring home the bacon, deliver the goods, succeed, win, come through - attain success or reach a desired goal; "The enterprise succeeded"; "We succeeded in getting tickets to the show"; "she struggled to overcome her handicap and won"
	3.	fail - disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake; "His sense of smell failed him this time"; "His strength finally failed him"; "His children failed him in the crisis"betraydisappoint, let down - fail to meet the hopes or expectations of; "Her boyfriend let her down when he did not propose marriage"
	4.	fail - stop operating or functioning; "The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident"conk out, go bad, break down, die, give out, give way, break, gochange - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night"break - render inoperable or ineffective; "You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!"croak, decease, die, drop dead, buy the farm, cash in one's chips, give-up the ghost, kick the bucket, pass away, perish, snuff it, pop off, expire, conk, exit, choke, go, pass - pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life; "She died from cancer"; "The children perished in the fire"; "The patient went peacefully"; "The old guy kicked the bucket at the age of 102"go down, crash - stop operating; "My computer crashed last night"; "The system goes down at least once a week"blow out, burn out, blow - melt, break, or become otherwise unusable; "The lightbulbs blew out"; "The fuse blew"misfire - fail to fire or detonate; "The guns misfired"malfunction, misfunction - fail to function or function improperly; "the coffee maker malfunctioned"
	5.	fail - be unable; "I fail to understand your motives"bring off, carry off, manage, negociate, pull off - be successful; achieve a goal; "She succeeded in persuading us all"; "I managed to carry the box upstairs"; "She pulled it off, even though we never thought her capable of it"; "The pianist negociated the difficult runs"
	6.	fail - judge unacceptable; "The teacher failed six students"pass judgment, evaluate, judge - form a critical opinion of; "I cannot judge some works of modern art"; "How do you evaluate this grant proposal?" "We shouldn't pass judgment on other people"flunk, flush it, bomb, fail - fail to get a passing grade; "She studied hard but failed nevertheless"; "Did I fail the test?"pass - accept or judge as acceptable; "The teacher passed the student although he was weak"
	7.	fail - fail to get a passing grade; "She studied hard but failed nevertheless"; "Did I fail the test?"flunk, flush it, bombfail - fall short in what is expected; "She failed in her obligations as a good daughter-in-law"; "We must not fail his obligation to the victims of the Holocaust"fail - judge unacceptable; "The teacher failed six students"make it, pass - go successfully through a test or a selection process; "She passed the new Jersey Bar Exam and can practice law now"
	8.	fail - fall short in what is expected; "She failed in her obligations as a good daughter-in-law"; "We must not fail his obligation to the victims of the Holocaust"flunk, flush it, bomb, fail - fail to get a passing grade; "She studied hard but failed nevertheless"; "Did I fail the test?"
	9.	fail - become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close; "The toy company went bankrupt after the competition hired cheap Mexican labor"; "A number of banks failed that year"
	10.	fail - prove insufficient; "The water supply for the town failed after a long drought"give out, run out
	11.	fail - get worse; "Her health is declining"decline, worsen - grow worse; "Conditions in the slum worsened"

fail

verb1. be unsuccessful, founder, fall flat, come to nothing, fall, miss, go down, break down, flop (informal), be defeated, fall short, fall through, fall short of, fizzle out (informal), come unstuck, run aground, miscarry, be in vain, misfire, fall by the wayside, go astray, come to grief, come a cropper (informal), bite the dust, go up in smoke, go belly-up (slang), come to naught, lay an egg (slang, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), 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 He was afraid the revolution they had started would fail.
be unsuccessful grow, pass, succeed, triumph, strengthen, thrive, flourish, bloom, prosper, have legs (informal)2. disappoint, abandon, desert, neglect, omit, let down, forsake, turn your back on, be disloyal to, break your word, forget We waited twenty-one years, don't fail us now.3. stop working, stop, die, give up, break down, cease, stall, cut out, malfunction, conk out (informal), go on the blink (informal), go phut The lights mysteriously failed.4. wither, perish, sag, droop, waste away, shrivel up In fact many food crops failed because of the drought5. go bankrupt, crash, collapse, fold (informal), close down, go under, go bust (informal), go out of business, be wound up, go broke (informal), go to the wall, go into receivership, go into liquidation, become insolvent, smash So far this year, 104 banks have failed.6. decline, fade, weaken, deteriorate, dwindle, sicken, degenerate, fall apart at the seams, be on your last legs (informal) He was 58 and his health was failing rapidly.7. give out, disappear, fade, dim, dwindle, wane, gutter, languish, peter out, die away, grow dim, sink Here in the hills, the light failed more quickly8. 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) I lived in fear of failing my end-of-term exams.without fail without exception, regularly, constantly, invariably, religiously, unfailingly, conscientiously, like clockwork, punctually, dependably He attended every meeting without fail.

fail

verb1. To prove deficient or insufficient:give out, run out.Idioms: fall short, run dry, run short.2. To be unsuccessful:choke, fall through.Informal: fall down, flop.Slang: bomb.Idioms: fail of success, fall short.3. To receive less than a passing grade:Informal: flunk.4. To not do (something necessary):default, neglect, omit.5. To lose strength or power:decline, degenerate, deteriorate, fade, flag, languish, sink, wane, waste (away), weaken.Informal: fizzle (out).Idioms: go downhill, hit the skids.6. To cease functioning properly:break down, give out.Slang: conk out.7. To make or become unusable or inoperative:break, ruin.Slang: bust.8. To undergo sudden financial failure:break, bust, collapse, crash, go under.Informal: fold.Idioms: go belly up, go bust, go on the rocks, go to the wall.

Translations

失败不及格不足使失望停止作用

fail

(feil) verb1. to be unsuccessful (in); not to manage (to do something). They failed in their attempt; I failed my exam; I failed to post the letter.失败2. to break down or cease to work. The brakes failed.停止作用3. to be insufficient or not enough. His courage failed (him).不足4. (in a test, examination etc) to reject (a candidate). The examiner failed half the class.不及格5. to disappoint. They did not fail him in their support.使失望ˈfailing noun a fault or weakness. He may have his failings, but he has always treated his children well.缺点 preposition if (something) fails or is lacking. Failing his help, we shall have to try something else.如果没有...ˈfailure (-jə) noun1. the state or act of failing. She was upset by her failure in the exam; failure of the electricity supply. 不及格，不足 2. an unsuccessful person or thing. He felt he was a failure. 失败者，失败的事 3. inability, refusal etc to do something. his failure to reply.无能力without fail definitely or certainly. I shall do it tomorrow without fail.必定

fail

→ 失败zhCN

fail

fail to see

To be incapable of understanding or unwilling to accept something. Mary, I fail to see what your fear of spiders has to do with your unwillingness to go on this trip. Congressman, I fail to see how your opponent, as you claim, is in any way responsible for the economic slump in your state.See also: fail, see

fall at the first hurdle

To fail to accomplish some task or goal at the very beginning of the attempt. John had his business plan all laid out, but he fell at the first hurdle when the bank refused to grant him a loan.See also: fall, first, hurdle

fall at the final hurdle

To fail to accomplish some task or goal at the very end of the attempt. Negotiations between the two warring countries fell at the final hurdle due to disagreements over cross-border taxation.See also: fall, final, hurdle

fall at the last hurdle

To fail to accomplish some task or goal at the very end of the attempt. Negotiations between the two warring countries fell at the last hurdle due to disagreements over cross-border taxation.See also: fall, hurdle, last

red-face test

A hypothetical test meant to measure whether or not some question or thing provokes discernible embarrassment, discomfiture, or displeasure in a person. The old red-face test is a simple but subtle way of telling which employees are the most honest and work the hardest. Well, my proposal didn't pass the red-face test with the boss. I guess we can kiss that idea goodbye.See also: test

fail the smell test

To be morally questionable, unacceptable, or untrustworthy. The new pro-drilling bill that's being put through Congress certainly fails the smell test, and many are suspicious that Big Oil has been responsible for its inception.See also: fail, smell, test

day in, day out, every day without fail

A phrase used to describe something that happens routinely or regularly. Day in, day out, every day without fail, I pass that same woman walking her dog. My mom started driving us to school because we would miss the bus day in, day out, every day without fail.See also: every, fail, without

fail at life

slang To fail in a way that is exaggeratedly likened to one's entire life being a failure. I can't believe I blew my audition! Ugh, I fail at life. I overheard you struggling to ask Kim to the prom, and, yeah, you fail at life, dude.See also: fail, life

fail of success

To not reach a goal or accomplishment. I know you worked hard on the fundraiser, so I'm really sorry to hear that you failed of success. After not making the team last year, I'm really hoping I don't fail of success this time around.See also: fail, of, success

fail

1. An exclamation, perhaps of annoyance or frustration, when something has gone wrong. I called him Mark, but apparently his name is Steven. Ugh, fail! I tried to bake a cake for my sister's birthday, but I accidentally used salt instead of sugar. Fail.2. noun A mistake or blunder. Something that has gone wrong. I called him Mark, but apparently his name is Steven! What a fail. I tried to bake a cake for my sister's birthday, but I accidentally used salt instead of sugar, and it was a big fail.

epic fail

An especially big or embarrassing blunder. I can't believe I called the CEO by the wrong name! What an epic fail. I tried to bake a cake for my sister's birthday, but I accidentally used salt instead of sugar. Epic fail.See also: epic, fail

if all else fails

If all other options and plans are unsuccessful. The phrase is used to indicate what the last resort will be. If all else fails, we can always order pizza. A: "Will we have to do it manually?" B: "Only if all else fails."See also: all, else, fail, if

words fail me

I'm unable to articulate or express myself because I'm too surprised, upset, or intensely emotional. I wish I could convey how much it means to me having you all here, but words fail me at the moment. And to think that you would risk your whole future by drinking and then getting behind the wheel of a car—well, words fail me!See also: fail, word

without fail

Said of something that happens regularly and predictably with no deviations. I have passed the same woman walking her dog every day without fail for five years&mdashbut today she wasn't there. I'm really worried about her!See also: fail, without

fail in (something)

1. To not have high enough grades to pass a particular class. My parents got my report card and grounded me because I'm failing in two classes.2. To not award a student a passing grade in a particular class. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "fail" and "in." I failed you in biology because you missed so many classes this semester.3. To not be successful in an attempt to do something. So far, I've failed in my efforts to find an internship for the summer.See also: fail

fail out

To have to leave a school or university because one does not have passing grades. One B won't kill you—it's not like you're going to fail out of college or something.See also: fail, out

never fails

Is always effective; always does what's desired or intended. If none of these things resolve the issue, turning your computer on and off again never fails. I'm telling you, drink this—it never fails to get rid of a hangover.See also: fail, never

fail (someone) on (something)

To give someone a failing grade on a school assignment. You clearly put zero effort into this essay—that's why I failed you on it.See also: fail, on

fail in something

to have not earned passing or satisfactory grades in some school subject. George is failing in geometry. I hope I do not fail in math.See also: fail

fail someone on something

to give someone an unsatisfactory grade on an assignment or test. She failed us all on the math assignment. The teacher failed half the class on the assignment.See also: fail, on

something never fails

a particular thing always works. My old folk remedy for hiccups never fails.See also: fail, never

without fail

for certain; absolutely. I'll be there at noon without fail. The plane leaves on time every day without fail.See also: fail, without

without fail

For certain, as in That check will arrive tomorrow morning without fail. This idiom today is used mainly to strengthen a statement. [Early 1700s] See also: fail, without

words fail me

I can't put my thoughts or feelings into words, especially because of surprise or shock, as in When she showed up at the wedding with all three ex-husbands-well, words fail me. [Second half of 1900s] See also: fail, word

without fail

absolutely predictably; with no exception or cause for doubt. Fail as a noun in the sense of ‘failure or deficiency’ is now only found in this phrase.See also: fail, without

if all else ˈfails

(spoken) used to introduce an idea or a suggestion that you could try if nothing else works: Let’s try phoning her at this number and then emailing her. If all else fails, we can always contact her parents.See also: all, else, fail, if

without ˈfail

used for emphasizing that something always happens or must happen: She sends me a Christmas card every year without fail. ♢ You must be here by 8.30 without fail.See also: fail, without

words ˈfail me

I cannot express how I feel (because I am too surprised, angry, etc.): Words fail me! How could you have been so stupid?See also: fail, word

fail in

v.1. To fail to achieve some goal or effort: I am failing in all of my attempts to win the contest.2. To achieve unsatisfactory grades in an academic subject: Because I am failing in math, I am seeing a tutor.3. To give someone an unsatisfactory grade in an academic subject: My teacher failed me in algebra despite my hard work.See also: fail

fail out

v. To be forced to leave an academic institution because of unsatisfactory grades: My cousin is failing out of law school.See also: fail, out

without fail

With no chance of failure: Be here at noon without fail.See also: fail, without

words fail me

An expression of surprise or shock, uttered when one does not know what to say: for example, “On their wedding day, she went to have breakfast with both of her former husbands—well, words fail me!” It dates from the second half of the twentieth century. See also: fail, word

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail to see

fall at the first hurdle

fall at the final hurdle

fall at the last hurdle

red-face test

fail the smell test

day in, day out, every day without fail

fail at life

fail of success

fail

epic fail

if all else fails

words fail me

without fail

fail in (something)

fail out

never fails

fail (someone) on (something)

fail in something

fail someone on something

something never fails

without fail

without fail

words fail me

without fail

if all else ˈfails

without ˈfail

words ˈfail me

fail in

fail out

without fail

words fail me

fail

fail

Fail

Fail

Fail

fail

FAIL

fail

Synonyms for fail

verb be unsuccessful

Synonyms

Antonyms

verb disappoint

Synonyms

verb stop working

Synonyms

verb wither

Synonyms

verb go bankrupt

Synonyms

verb decline

Synonyms

verb give out

Synonyms

verb not pass

Synonyms

phrase without fail

Synonyms

Synonyms for fail

verb to prove deficient or insufficient

Synonyms

verb to be unsuccessful

Synonyms

verb to receive less than a passing grade

Synonyms

verb to not do (something necessary)

Synonyms