Definition of
Fail
- (verb, change) get worse
- (verb, change) stop operating or functioning
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 - (verb, change) prove insufficient
- (verb, emotion) disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake
His strength finally failed him
His children failed him in the crisis - (verb, possession) become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close
A number of banks failed that year - (verb, social) fall short in what is expected
We must not fail his obligation to the victims of the Holocaust - (verb, social) fail to get a passing grade
Did I fail the test? - (verb, social) judge unacceptable
- (verb, social) be unsuccessful
The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably - (verb, social) fail to do something; leave something undone
The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account - (verb, social) be unable
via WordNet, Princeton University
Synonyms of Fail
betray, bomb, break, break down, conk out, die, flunk, flush it, give out, give way, go, go bad, go wrong, miscarry, neglect, run out
Alternate forms of Fail
Hyponyms: ball up, blow, blow out, bobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, burn out, choke, crash, default, default on, fall, fall flat, fall through, flop, flub, fluff, foul up, founder, fuck up, fumble, go down, lose track, louse up, malfunction, mess up, misfire, misfunction, mishandle, miss, muck up, muff, overreach, screw up, shipwreck, spoil, strike out, take it on the chin
Hypernyms: change, decline, disappoint, evaluate, judge, let down, pass judgment, worsen
Origin of the word Fail
- early 13c., from O.Fr. faillir "be lacking, miss, not succeed," from V.L. *fallire, from L. fallere "deceive, be lacking or defective." Related: Failed; failing. Replaced O.E. abreo?an. The Anglo-Norm. form, failer, came to be used as a noun, hence failure. more
via Online Etymology Dictionary, ©2001 Douglas Harper