fail

verb

OPAL WOPAL S

/feɪl/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they fail	/feɪl/ /feɪl/
he / she / it fails	/feɪlz/ /feɪlz/
past simple failed	/feɪld/ /feɪld/
past participle failed	/feɪld/ /feɪld/
-ing form failing	/ˈfeɪlɪŋ/ /ˈfeɪlɪŋ/

Idioms

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not succeed

[intransitive, transitive] to not be successful in achieving something

Many diets fail because they are boring.
Ultimately all their efforts failed.
a policy/plan fails
fail in something I failed in my attempt to persuade her.
He failed in his bid for the presidency.
fail to do something The department failed to meet its sales targets.
They promised a lot, but utterly failed to deliver.
The song can't fail to be a hit (= definitely will be a hit).

opposite succeed (1)

Extra Examples

I tried to cheer her up, but failed miserably.
Economic policy has failed miserably to address these issues.
Others have tried and failed.
Can we succeed where others have failed?
He tries to be a good father, but ultimately fails in his responsibility.
She failed in her bid to be re-elected.
She failed to get into art college.
The film completely fails to convince.
If the play has some message to get across, it singularly fails to do so.
That joke never fails.
She came up with several plans that failed spectacularly before finally achieving success.
The show didn't just fail, it failed spectacularly.
The game fails in many respects.
Opponents say it's a policy doomed to fail.
She tried to put an all-women crew together, but failed dismally.
They had tried and they had failed.

Topics Difficulty and failurea2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

dismally
miserably
spectacularly
…

verb + fail

cannot
can hardly
be bound to
…

preposition

phrases

try and fail

See full entry

test/exam

[transitive, intransitive] to not pass a test or an exam; to decide that somebody/something has not passed a test or an exam

What will you do if you fail?
fail something He failed his driving test.
Students who fail the exam can retake it.
She was disqualified after failing a drugs test.
The restaurant failed a hygiene inspection.
fail somebody The examiners failed over half the candidates.

opposite pass

Extra Examples

My car failed its MOT.
Schools that fail their inspection can be taken over.
I failed all my A levels but I turned out fine.
She was convinced she'd failed the audition.
He was rejected for the army after failing the physical.
If your attendance drops below 80%, you automatically fail the course.
They can fail you for poor attendance.
He failed me for not looking in my rear-view mirror often enough.
If you fail, you have to resit.
There's no grade: it's just pass or fail.
Once a student has failed on a few tasks, they lose motivation.

Topics Educationa2

not do something

[intransitive] to not do something

fail to do something People failed to recognize her talent.
His article fails to mention that he actually supported this change.
If you fail to comply, you can be fined.
The government has failed to provide the needed resources.
Such comments never failed to annoy him.
I fail to see (= I don't understand) why you won't even give it a try.
She cannot fail to (= must) be aware of the situation.
fail in something They failed in their duty to protect the public.

More Like This Verbs usually followed by infinitivesVerbs usually followed by infinitives

afford
agree
appear
arrange
attempt
beg
choose
consent
decide
expect
fail
happen
hesitate
hope
intend
learn
manage
mean
neglect
offer
prepare
pretend
promise
refuse
swear
try
want
wish

Extra Examples

He failed to keep the appointment.
The authorities have totally failed to address this problem.
I fail to understand why this can't be resolved.
They fail to understand the underlying causes.
The country failed to comply with UN resolutions.
He has repeatedly failed to explain his actions.
He felt he would be failing in his duty if he did not report it.
Politicians are failing in their responsibility to tackle climate change.
She failed in her obligation to warn the client.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

completely
totally

See full entry

of machines/parts of body

[intransitive] to stop working

The brakes on my bike failed half way down the hill.
The air-conditioning system failed on the hottest day of the year.
Sadly, his kidneys had failed.

Extra Examples

The plane can still be flown if one engine fails.
The ship was towed into harbour when its engines failed.
Many of the plane's systems failed before the crash.
The PA system failed partway through his speech.
Telephone systems can fail during a storm.
What happens if your internet connection fails while you are downloading a file?
If your power fails, or your broadband connection goes down, you can't make or receive calls.
If the circuit is broken the entire network could fail.
An overdose could cause the heart to fail.

of health/sight/light

[intransitive] (especially in the progressive tenses) to become weak

Her eyesight is failing.
The light began to fail.

disappoint somebody

[transitive] fail somebody to disappoint somebody; to be unable to help when needed

When he lost his job, he felt he had failed his family.
She tried to be brave, but her courage failed her.
(figurative) Words fail me (= I cannot express how I feel).

Topics Feelingsc1

not be enough

[intransitive] to not be enough when needed or expected

The crops failed again last summer.
The rains had failed and the rivers were dry.

of company/business

[intransitive] to be unable to continue

Several banks failed during the recession.

Extra Examples

an enterprise that was doomed to fail from the start
A high percentage of businesses fail because of the collapse of a major customer.
Businesses fail because they can't pay their bills.
More banks failed as people rushed to withdraw their money.

Topics Businessb2

Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French faillir (verb), faille (noun), based on Latin fallere ‘deceive’.

Idioms

if all else fails

used to suggest something that somebody can do if nothing else they have tried is successful
- If all else fails, you can always sell your motorbike.

too big to fail

(of a bank or business) so important to the economy of a country that when it finds itself in financial trouble, the government or central bank must act to save it
- Shouldering the huge costs of rescuing banks that are too big to fail has been left to taxpayers.