Find the definition of this word to fail - Word и Excel - помощь в работе с программами

fail

(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.

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.

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.

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 fail

1. 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.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

fail

(feɪl)

1. 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 extent

7. (intr) to weaken; fade away

8. (Commerce) (intr) to go bankrupt or become insolvent

9. (Education) a failure to attain the required standard, as in an examination

10. without fail definitely; with certainty

[C13: from Old French faillir, ultimately from Latin fallere to disappoint; probably related to Greek phēlos deceitful]

fail

(fel)

[perhaps from Scottish Gaelic fàl]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

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.

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

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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» neglect lose 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 up choke — 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 ball miss — 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, miscarry take it on the chin — undergo failure or defeat miss — fail to reach or get to; «She missed her train» overreach — fail by aiming too high or trying too hard bobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, flub, fluff, foul 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 enterprise fall 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» betray disappoint, 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, go change — 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, bomb 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» 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

verb

1. 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.

5. 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.

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 quickly

8. 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.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

fail

verb

1. To prove deficient or insufficient:

3. To receive less than a passing grade:

4. To not do (something necessary):

5. To lose strength or power:

6. To cease functioning properly:

7. To make or become unusable or inoperative:

8. To undergo sudden financial failure:

Translations

أخفقيُخَيِّب ، يَخْذُليَضعُف، يَهِنيَفْشَليَفْشَلُ

selhatneuspětpřestatpropadnoutselhávat

dumpefejlemislykkesslå fejlsvigte

edutunurjumaseiskuma

epäonnistua

ne uspjeti

megbuktatnem sikerül

bilabregîastfellamistakast; falla

失敗する矢敗する

실패하다

desum

ko nors nepadarymasko nors nepadarytineabejotinainepavykus gautinesant

bremzes nenostrādājaciest neveiksmiizgāztizkristneizdoties

nechať prepadnúť

ne uspetispodleteti

misslyckas

ล้มเหลว

thất bại

fail

[feɪl]

B. VT

3. (= not succeed) to fail to be elected → no lograr ser elegido
to fail to win a prize → no obtener un premio

4. (= omit, neglect) to fail to do sth → no hacer algo, dejar de hacer algo
don’t fail to visit her → no deje de visitarla

5. (= be unable) I fail to see why/what → no veo or alcanzo a ver por qué/qué

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

fail

[ˈfeɪl]

(in exam, test) [+ candidate] → recaler

(= not pass) (in exam, test) → échouer
In our class, no one failed → Dans notre classe, personne n’a échoué.

(= be unsuccessful) [activity, attempt, plan, remedy] → échouer; [business, organization] → échouer; [system] → échouer; [marriage, relationship] → échouer

(= be unable) to fail to do sth [person] → ne pas parvenir à faire qch; [thing]
The bomb failed to explode → La bombe n’a pas explosé.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

fail

(= be unsuccessful) → keinen Erfolg haben; (in mission, life etc) → versagen, scheitern; (campaign, efforts, negotiations, plan, experiment, marriage) → fehlschlagen, scheitern; (undertaking, attempt) → fehlschlagen, misslingen, missglücken; (applicant, application) → nicht angenommen werden; (election candidate, Theat: play) → durchfallen; (business) → eingehen; (charm, attempts at persuasion etc) → vergeblich or umsonst sein; he failed in his attempt to take control of the company → sein Versuch, die Leitung der Firma zu übernehmen, schlug fehl or blieb erfolglos or missglückte; he failed in his application for the post → seine Bewerbung wurde nicht angenommen; to fail in one’s duty → seine Pflicht nicht tun; to fail by 5 votes (motion) → mit 5 Stimmen Mehrheit abgelehnt werden; (person) → um 5 Stimmen geschlagen werden; if all else fails → wenn alle Stricke reißen; to fail miserably or dismally → kläglich scheitern

(= fall short) where he/the essay fails is in not being detailed enough → sein Fehler/der Fehler des Aufsatzes ist, dass er nicht ausführlich genug ist; this report fails in that it comes up with no clear proposals → dieser Bericht lässt es an klaren Vorschlägen fehlen; where you fail is that you lack relevant experience → Ihnen fehlt es an der notwendigen Erfahrung

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

fail

[feɪl]

1. vi

a. (gen) → fallire; (in exam, candidate) → essere respinto/a or bocciato/a; (show, play) → essere un fiasco
to fail in one’s duty → mancare al proprio dovere

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

fail

(feil) verb

1. 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.

2. to break down or cease to work. The brakes failed.

3. to be insufficient or not enough. His courage failed (him).

4. (in a test, examination etc) to reject (a candidate). The examiner failed half the class.

5. to disappoint. They did not fail him in their support.

ˈfailing noun

a fault or weakness. He may have his failings, but he has always treated his children well.

preposition

if (something) fails or is lacking. Failing his help, we shall have to try something else.

ˈfailure (-jə) noun

1. the state or act of failing. She was upset by her failure in the exam; failure of the electricity supply.

2. an unsuccessful person or thing. He felt he was a failure.

3. inability, refusal etc to do something. his failure to reply.

without fail

definitely or certainly. I shall do it tomorrow without fail.

fail

→ يَفْشَلُ neuspět slå fejl scheitern αποτυγχάνω fracasar, no + infinitivo epäonnistua échouer ne uspjeti fallire 失敗する 실패하다 falen mislykkes zawieść falhar потерпеть неудачу misslyckas ล้มเหลว başarısız olmak thất bại 失败

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

fail

v. [to be deficient] fallar, faltar; dejar de;

without ___ → sin falta.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

Источник

[feɪl]
1. гл.

1) недоставать, не хватать , иметь недостаток в чём-л; истощаться, вырабатываться, растрачиваться

failing this — при недостаче чего, при отсутствии чего

I fail words to express my feelings. — У меня нет слов, чтобы выразить мои чувства.

Soon would our food and water fail us here. — Скоро у нас кончатся пища и вода.

Syn:

2) быть неадекватным; быть недостаточным

3) не сбываться, обманывать ожидания, не удаваться

His being a protestant could not fail to prejudice the jury. — То, что он протестант, едва ли могло не создать у присяжных предубеждения против него.

My project failed. — Моя затея не удалась.

4) потерпеть неудачу; не иметь успеха

to fail dismally / miserably — потерпеть страшную неудачу

to fail in business — потерпеть крах в бизнесе

5) не исполнить, не сделать; подвести

He failed to keep his word. — Он не сдержал слова.

If only my memory does not fail me. — Если только мне не изменяет память.

Take care not to fail me. — Постарайся не подвести меня.

He failed to comprehend the seriousness of the problem. — Он не понимал всей серьёзности проблемы.

We shall not fail to send our reply. — Мы не замедлим послать наш ответ.

Syn:

а) проваливаться

б) заваливать

Syn:

с.-х.

не дать всходов, не уродиться

исчезать, затихать, умирать

Religion seems to be failing when it is merely changing its form. — Казалось бы, религия вымирает, но она на самом деле лишь меняет форму.

The music rose again from where it seem’d to fail. — Музыка уже, казалось, умолкла, но потом тут же зазвучала снова.

а) ослабевать, терять силы; заболевать

That kind old lady had been failing since the spring of 1829 and had died in October. — Этой доброй старой леди становилось всё хуже и хуже с весны 1829 года, а в октябре она скончалась.

б) перестать действовать, выйти из строя

— fail safe

Syn:

10)

фин.

обанкротиться, стать неплатёжеспособным

2. сущ.

1) неудача, провал

Syn:

2) неудовлетворительно

Англо-русский современный словарь.
2014.

Источник

Verb

He failed in his first attempt but succeeded in his second attempt.

His first company failed, but his second company succeeded.

He felt that he had failed her when she needed him most.

The government has failed the voters.

Recent Examples on the Web

Prosecutors said the Trump Organization failed to report the payments to tax authorities properly.

—Stefan Becket, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2023

The social-media platform, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance Ltd., failed to get consent from the parents of children on its platform and didn’t do enough to remove underage users, the U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office said Tuesday.

—Gareth Vipers, wsj.com, 4 Apr. 2023

Vallow failed to abide by the order and was later arrested on charges of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children.

—Doha Madani, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2023

Agnew’s resignation was announced by his attorney, and the former vice president expeditiously pleaded no contest to failing to report $29,500 in federal taxes in 1967.

—Del Quentin Wilber, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2023

An amendment to undo this change failed on the House floor, and the bill passed the House on March 28 by a 62-31 vote.

—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Apr. 2023

Crime & courts: Son of Osiel Cardenas-Guillen gets 9 years for attempt to move assault weapons from Texas to Mexico Prosecution witnesses testified in the weeklong trial that Jones failed a field sobriety test and had a blood alcohol concenration of .177, more than twice the legal limit of .08.

—Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News, 3 Apr. 2023

The couple failed to respond to the suit, and last month a judge ruled that Monkey Feet owed its landlord $255,000.

—Dan Glaun, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2023

But around 9 o’clock, the FDIC announced that SVB had failed and was under federal management — a lockdown that immediately froze all deposits.

—Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2023

Or perhaps listening is the big fail.

—Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2023

Some thought this looked like a fail.

—David Hambling, Forbes, 8 June 2022

And without fail, attendees show up in their best outfits.

—Jamila Stewart, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2023

Touchscreen gloves are easy to find, but scoring a pair that keep hands warm and aren’t a total fail for functionality is another matter entirely.

—Danny Perez, Popular Mechanics, 18 Nov. 2022

In other words, a score of 96 could be a fail if those four points represent one of the four-point violations such as improper temperatures for potentially hazardous food or the lack of accessibility to sinks.

—Pam Mcloughlin, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2023

Failure to deliver a proposal on time, or delivering a proposal filled with spelling errors, is an immediate fail.

—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 5 July 2022

Ahead, Williams shares her self-care tips, getting-ready playlist, and biggest beauty fail for Glamour’s Big Beauty Questions.

—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 13 Feb. 2023

For us, an almost fail-proof way to show you really, really care about someone is by baking them a delicious treat.

—Rachel Baron, Good Housekeeping, 12 Jan. 2023

See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘fail.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Источник

Collins

1 be defeated, be found lacking or wanting, be in vain, be unsuccessful, bite the dust, break down, come a cropper (informal) come to grief, come to naught, come to nothing, come unstuck, fall, fall by the wayside, fall flat, fall flat on one’s face, fall short, fall short of, fall through, fizzle out (informal) flop (informal) founder, go astray, go belly-up (slang) go by the board, go down, go down like a lead balloon (informal) go up in smoke, lay an egg (slang, chiefly U.S. & Canad.) meet with disaster, miscarry, misfire, miss, not make the grade (informal) run aground, turn out badly

2 abandon, break one’s word, desert, disappoint, forget, forsake, let down, neglect, omit, turn one’s back on

3 be on one’s last legs (informal) cease, conk out (informal) cut out, decline, die, disappear, droop, dwindle, fade, fall apart at the seams, give out, give up, go phut, gutter, languish, peter out, sicken, sink, stop working, wane, weaken

4 become insolvent, close down, crash, fold (informal) go bankrupt, go broke (informal) go bust (informal) go into receivership, go out of business, go to the wall, go under, smash

5    without fail      conscientiously, constantly, dependably, like clockwork, punctually, regularly, religiously, without exception

Antonyms
   bloom, flourish, grow, pass, prosper, strengthen, succeed, thrive, triumph

English Collins Dictionary — English synonyms & Thesaurus

Источник

Top Definitions
Quiz
Related Content
Examples
British
Idioms And Phrases

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

verb (used without object)

to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved: The experiment failed because of poor planning.

to receive less than the passing grade or mark in an examination, class, or course of study: He failed in history.

to be or become deficient or lacking; be insufficient or absent; fall short: Our supplies failed.

to dwindle, pass, or die away: The flowers failed for lack of rain.

to lose strength or vigor; become weak: His health failed after the operation.

to become unable to meet or pay debts or business obligations; become insolvent or bankrupt.

(of a building member, structure, machine part, etc.) to break, bend, crush, or be otherwise destroyed or made useless because of an excessive load.

to stop functioning or operating: The electricity failed during the storm.

Slang.

to make an embarrassing or humorous mistake, be in a humiliating situation, etc., and be subject to ridicule: Showed up late to the wedding? You fail!
to be embarrassingly incompetent, stupid, etc.: She fails at life. I just failed at walking and fell on my face.
to be bad or of inferior quality: The play is terrible—even the music fails.

verb (used with object)

to be unsuccessful in the performance or completion of: He failed to do his duty.

(of some expected or usual resource) to prove of no use or help to: His friends failed him. Words failed her.

to receive less than a passing grade or mark in: He failed history.

to declare (a person) unsuccessful in a test, course of study, etc.; give less than a passing grade to: The professor failed him in history.

noun

Slang.

an embarrassing or humorous mistake, humiliating situation, etc., that is subject to ridicule and given an exaggerated importance: Their app update is a massive fail.
the condition or quality resulting from having failed in this way: His online post is full of fail.
a person who fails in this way.

Stock Exchange.

a stockbroker’s inability to deliver or receive security within the required time after sale or purchase.
such an undelivered security.

Obsolete. failure as to performance, occurrence, etc.

interjection

Slang.

(used to mock an embarrassing or humorous mistake, humiliating situation, etc., giving it an exaggerated importance): A tattoo that misspells your name? Fail!
(used to indicate that something is bad or of inferior quality)

adjective

unsuccessful; failed: a totally fail policy.

Slang.

of or noting an embarrassing or humorous mistake, humiliating situation, etc.: the top 100 funniest fail photos on the internet.
embarrassingly incompetent, stupid, etc: Why am I so fail?
very bad or of inferior quality.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Which sentence is correct?

Idioms about fail

without fail, with certainty; positively: I will visit you tomorrow without fail.

Origin of fail

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English failen, from Anglo-French, Old French faillir, from unattested Vulgar Latin fallīre, for Latin fallere “to disappoint, deceive”

OTHER WORDS FROM fail

un·failed, adjective

Words nearby fail

Fa-hsien, FAI, Faial, Faidherbe, faience, fail, failed, failed star, failed state, failing, faille

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to fail

break down, decline, fall, ignore, neglect, break, close, drop, end, finish, abort, backslide, blunder, deteriorate, fizzle, flop, flounder, fold, founder, miscarry

How to use fail in a sentence

In this kind of “lights-out” datacenter, the servers would be swapped out about once every five years, with any that fail before then being taken offline.
An engineer’s brilliant plan for an automated system that would work for the billion dollar travel entity, but result in the failed account of the small realtor isn’t actually the right way…even if it’s more efficient for some automated program.
He constantly insists that his approval rating among Republicans is at 96 percent, an invented figure, and nearly as often insists that polls are failing to capture his full support.
However, the system was triggered erroneously by a single sensor that failed in both crashes and it continued to push the nose down repeatedly.

I woke up before 7 AM, and the feeling of dread increased with every passing hour as the sun failed to appear.
The Big Five banks dubbed too big to fail, are 35 percent bigger than they were when the meltdown was triggered.
Diets not only fail to make us thinner, they also fail to make us healthier in the long term.
Direct funds away from practices, policies, and programs that consistently fail to achieve measurable outcomes.
These banks…are a whole lot bigger now than they were when we bailed them out in 2008 because they were too big to fail.
Instead, everyone agrees it has simply reinscribed too big to fail as explicit law.
It would make everyone careful, of course, but I fail to see any grievance in that.
Words fail to describe my feelings as I watched the clothes come off him and dry ones go on just as if hands were arranging them.
Who among us would fail to believe what we have, perhaps, secretly wished for in our heart of hearts?
I knew you would, dear Mr Brammel—a gentleman of your discretion would not fail to do so.
If you did fail, you would try Exclusion, and you would find nothing which is the antithesis of the area of New York.

British Dictionary definitions for fail (1 of 2)

verb

to be unsuccessful in an attempt (at something or to do something)

(intr) to stop operating or working properlythe 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

without fail definitely; with certainty

Word Origin for fail

C13: from Old French faillir, ultimately from Latin fallere to disappoint; probably related to Greek phēlos deceitful

British Dictionary definitions for fail (2 of 2)

Word Origin for fail

perhaps from Scottish Gaelic fàl

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with fail

see without fail; words fail me.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Источник

Educalingo cookies are used to personalize ads and get web traffic statistics. We also share information about the use of the site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.

Download the app
educalingo

The only thing that might have annoyed some mathematicians was the presumption of assuming that maybe the axiom of choice could fail, and that we should look into contrary assumptions.

Alonzo Church

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD FAIL

From Old French faillir, ultimately from Latin fallere to disappoint; probably related to Greek phēlos deceitful.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF FAIL

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF FAIL

Fail is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb fail in English.

WHAT DOES FAIL MEAN IN ENGLISH?

fail

Failure

Failure is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. Product failure ranges from failure to sell the product to fracture of the product, in the worst cases leading to personal injury, the province of forensic engineering.

Definition of fail in the English dictionary

The first definition of fail in the dictionary is to be unsuccessful in an attempt. Other definition of fail is to stop operating or working properly. Fail is also to judge or be judged as being below the officially accepted standard required for success in.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO FAIL

PRESENT

Present

I fail

you fail

he/she/it fails

we fail

you fail

they fail

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

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

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I failed

you failed

he/she/it failed

we failed

you failed

they 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

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

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will fail

you will fail

he/she/it will fail

we will fail

you will fail

they will fail

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

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 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

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would fail

you would fail

he/she/it would fail

we would fail

you would fail

they would fail

Conditional continuous

I would be failing

you would be failing

he/she/it would be failing

we would be failing

you would be failing

they would be failing

Conditional perfect

I would have fail

you would have fail

he/she/it would have fail

we would have fail

you would have fail

they would have fail

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been failing

you would have been failing

he/she/it would have been failing

we would have been failing

you would have been failing

they would have been failing

Conditional or «future-in-the-past» tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you fail
we let´s fail
you fail

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Present Participle

failing

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH FAIL

Synonyms and antonyms of fail in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS OF «FAIL»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «fail» and belong to the same grammatical category.

Translation of «fail» into 25 languages

TRANSLATION OF FAIL

Find out the translation of fail to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of fail from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «fail» in English.

Translator English — Chinese

失败

1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English — Spanish

no + infinitivo

570 millions of speakers

English

fail

510 millions of speakers

Translator English — Hindi

असफल

380 millions of speakers

Translator English — Arabic

يَفْشَلُ

280 millions of speakers

Translator English — Russian

потерпеть неудачу

278 millions of speakers

Translator English — Portuguese

falhar

270 millions of speakers

Translator English — Bengali

ব্যর্থ

260 millions of speakers

Translator English — French

échouer

220 millions of speakers

Translator English — Malay

Gagal

190 millions of speakers

Translator English — German

scheitern

180 millions of speakers

Translator English — Japanese

失敗する

130 millions of speakers

Translator English — Korean

실패하다

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Javanese

Gagal

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Vietnamese

thất bại

80 millions of speakers

Translator English — Tamil

தோல்வியடையும்

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Marathi

अपयशी

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Turkish

başarısız

70 millions of speakers

Translator English — Italian

fallire

65 millions of speakers

Translator English — Polish

zawieść

50 millions of speakers

Translator English — Ukrainian

зазнавати невдачі

40 millions of speakers

Translator English — Romanian

a eșua

30 millions of speakers

Translator English — Greek

αποτυγχάνω

15 millions of speakers

Translator English — Afrikaans

versuim

14 millions of speakers

Translator English — Swedish

misslyckas

10 millions of speakers

Translator English — Norwegian

mislykkes

5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of fail

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «FAIL»

The term «fail» is very widely used and occupies the 3.630 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Trends

FREQUENCY

Very widely used

The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «fail» in the different countries.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of fail

List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «fail».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «FAIL» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «fail» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «fail» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about fail

10 QUOTES WITH «FAIL»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word fail.

Let us go forward in this battle fortified by conviction that those who labour in the service of a great and good cause will never fail.

We never fail when we try to do our duty, we always fail when we neglect to do it.

My mantra is: Realize you’re going to fail all the time, and accept it. That doesn’t mean I’m not frightened of it.

The only thing that might have annoyed some mathematicians was the presumption of assuming that maybe the axiom of choice could fail, and that we should look into contrary assumptions.

Despite my emphasis on technology, I do not view laws as inherently evil. My goals are political ones, even if my techniques are not. The only way to fundamentally succeed is by changing existing laws. If I rejected all help from the political arena I would inevitably fail.

I think it’s better to be overly ambitious and fail than to be underambitious and succeed in a mundane way. I have been very fortunate. I failed upward in my life!

I’m really bad at tests of any kind, so I’m bad at auditions. I consider myself educated most of the time, but when I’m under the gun, I just fail.

I believe in infrastructure, I believe in investing in your hard assets. Where I think government starts to fail is when it starts getting itself weighed down with the social programs. And I think the American public just feels like a lot of that money is tossed aside and wasted.

The best subjects are always people, who never fail to amaze me by their unpredictability.

Under adversity, under oppression, the words begin to fail, the easy words begin to fail. In order to convey things accurately, the human being is almost forced to find the most precise words possible, which is a precondition for literature.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «FAIL»

Discover the use of fail in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to fail and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

An award-winning professor of economics at MIT and a Harvard University political scientist and economist evaluate the reasons that some nations are poor while others succeed, outlining provocative perspectives that support theories about …

Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson, 2013

Too Big to Fail: Inside the Battle to Save Wall Street

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BBC SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE 2010 They were masters of the financial universe, flying in private jets and raking in billions. They thought they were too big to fail. Yet they would bring the world to its knees.

The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great …

Examines how companies can create a balance between marketing cutting-edge technology and anticipating customer demand

Clayton M. Christensen, 1997

A covert group of assassins has the Vice President of the United States in their sights. They’ve planned well. There’s just one thing they didn’t plan on: Jack Reacher.

Drawing from his experiences as an elementary school teacher, the author discusses ways in which today’s schools inhibit the child’s personality development and learning potentials

The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail-but …

This is the “prediction paradox”: The more humility we have about our ability to make predictions, the more successful we can be in planning for the future.

Why Boys Fail: Saving Our Sons from an Educational System …

This is eye-opening reading for parents and educators alike. Richard Whitmire is a former editorial writer for USA Today and president of the National Educational Writers Association.

Why CEOs Fail: The 11 Behaviors That Can Derail Your Climb …

In Why CEOs Fail, David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo describe the most common characteristics of derailed top executives and how you can avoid them: Arrogance—you think that you’re right, and everyone else is wrong.

David L. Dotlich, Peter C. Cairo, 2007

As more countries develop nuclear capabilities and the potential for new enemies lurks on the horizon, Fail-Safe and its powerful issues continue to respond.

Eugene Burdick, Harvey Wheeler, 1999

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «FAIL»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term fail is used in the context of the following news items.

Congealed Tipp-Ex to odour of gym – Russia’s cheese fakers fail the …

Congealed Tipp-Ex to odour of gym – Russia’s cheese fakers fail the taste test. Starved of imported cheese thanks to Moscow’s counter … «The Guardian, Jul 15»

Memo to China: Your Market Moves Are Doomed to Fail

In your head, you should suspect it will fail. There’s something poignantly human about every attempt to make markets behave as we all wish … «Wall Street Journal, Jul 15»

When franchises fail: Saying goodbye to 2005’s not-so-Fantastic Four

Franchises sometimes fail. 2006’s Superman Returns sputtered, which led to the 2013 reboot Man of Steel. 2011’s ridiculous Green Lantern … «The Week Magazine, Jul 15»

Theme Park Fail Video You’ll Never Go On Another Ride After …

The smiling faces of this mother and son got wiped away real quick after this near death joy ride when a cable snapped. Luckily for these two … «TMZ.com, Jul 15»

Jurassic Park’s Single Biggest Special Effects Fail

Chances are, you have enjoyed the work of the special effects wizards at Legacy Effects. In fact, if you watched either Jurassic World or … «Cinema Blend, Jul 15»

Asia’s Women Crack Glass Ceiling, But Fail to Break Through

Asia’s women are taking one step forward, two steps back when it comes to gender equality. Family structures and entrenched notions of what … «Bloomberg, Jul 15»

Allow young the freedom to fail, says start-up founder in SCMP debate

«Let’s get into a feel-good mentality, give more space and more opportunities and not just calculate how many will fail … if they feel better, they … «South China Morning Post, Jul 15»

Al-Hilal fail to lift spectator ban for AFC quarter-final

REUTERS: Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal have failed in their bid to get a spectator banned overturned for the home leg of their AFC Champions … «Channel News Asia, Jul 15»

Multi-million dollar defender Danilo bagged for juggling fail

How much should a club pay for a defender who can’t even juggle? That’s the question sceptical Real Madrid fans are asking after $50 million … «SBS — The World Game, Jul 15»

Watch: ‘Hunger Games’ stars attempt ‘Mockingjay’ whistle; fail

The Mockingjay whistle, aka Rue’s four-note song, seems like an easy tune to carry, right? Well, not so much for the stars of Hunger Games: … «USA TODAY, Jul 15»

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Fail [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/fail>. Apr 2023 ».

Download the educalingo app

Discover all that is hidden in the words on

Источник

Defenition of the word fail
- To not achieve a particular goal.
- A grade given to a student with extremely below average performance.
- get worse; «Her health is declining»
- 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»
- fall short in what is expected; «She failed in her obligations as a good daughter-in-law»
- judge unacceptable; «The teacher failed six students»
- be unable; «I fail to understand your motives»
- 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»
- fail to get a passing grade; «She studied hard but failed nevertheless»; «Did I fail the test?»
- 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 coffe maker broke»; «The engine failed on the way to town»
- be unsuccessful; «Where do today’s public schools fail?»; «The attempt tp rescue the hostages failed miserably»
- 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»
- prove insufficient; «The water supply for the town failed after a long drought»
- 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»
- 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»
- be unsuccessful; «Where do today»s public schools fail?»; «The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably»
- get worse
- stop operating or functioning
- prove insufficient
- disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake
- become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close
- fall short in what is expected
- fail to get a passing grade
- judge unacceptable
- be unsuccessful
- fail to do something; leave something undone
- be unable

Synonyms for the word fail

- be unsuccessful
- betray
- bomb
- break
- break down
- conk out
- crash
- default
- die
- disappoint
- fall short
- flop
- flunk
- flush it
- fold
- give out
- give way
- go
- go bankrupt
- go down
- go on the blink
- go out of business
- go wrong
- lack
- let down
- miscarry
- neglect
- not be up to snuff
- not make the grade
- not pass
- not succeed
- pack up
- pluck
- run out
- stop working
- want

Similar words in the fail

- fail
- failed
- failing
- failing’s
- failings
- fails
- failure
- failure’s

Hyponyms for the word fail

- 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 for the word fail

- change
- decline
- disappoint
- evaluate
- judge
- let down
- pass judgment
- worsen

Antonyms for the word fail

- bring home the bacon
- bring off
- carry off
- come through
- deliver the goods
- make it
- manage
- nail
- negociate
- pass
- pull off
- succeed
- win

See other words

- What is give a fuck
- The definition of anticonstitucionalissimamente
- The interpretation of the word anticonstitucionalmente
- What is meant by pneumoultramicroscopicossilicovulcanoconiose
- The lexical meaning pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
- The dictionary meaning of the word embody
- The grammatical meaning of the word tribunus
- Meaning of the word tribunus militum consulari potestate
- Literal and figurative meaning of the word fandramana
- The origin of the word god-given
- Synonym for the word erstaunlich
- Antonyms for the word detail
- Homonyms for the word caranguejo-mulato-da-terra
- Hyponyms for the word maria-das-pernas-compridas
- Holonyms for the word dbms
- Hypernyms for the word bercucuran
- Proverbs and sayings for the word akmak
- Translation of the word in other languages quyilmoq

Источник

Other forms: failed; fails

The verb fail describes something that stops working, like brakes in a car that fail, or is found to be unacceptable, like restaurants that fail their inspection for cleanliness.

The verb fail comes from the Old French word faillir, meaning “be lacking,” “miss,” or “not succeed.” You can fail an exam, which means you didn’t get at least a minimum number of points to pass. You can fail to live up to your potential, meaning you aren’t able to meet expectations. When businesses fail, it means financial problems force them to close.

Definitions of fail

“I
fail to understand your motives”
verb

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”

synonyms:

neglect
verb

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”

Synonyms:

bomb, flunk, flush it

fail to get a passing grade
“The teacher
failed six students”

Synonyms:

bomb, flunk, flush it

fail to get a passing grade
verb

fail to get a passing grade

“She studied hard but
failed nevertheless”

“Did I
fail the test?”

synonyms:

bomb, flunk, flush it
verb

stop operating or functioning

“The engine
failed on the way to town”

synonyms:

break, break down, conk out, die, give out, give way, go, go bad

break

render inoperable or ineffective

buy the farm, cash in one’s chips, choke, conk, croak, decease, die, drop dead, exit, expire, give-up the ghost, go, kick the bucket, pass, pass away, perish, pop off, snuff it

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
“Where do today’s public schools
fail?”

“The attempt to rescue the hostages
failed miserably”

synonyms:

go wrong, miscarry

see moresee less

Antonyms:

bring home the bacon, come through, deliver the goods, succeed, win

attain success or reach a desired goal

types:

show 9 types…

hide 9 types…

take it on the chin

undergo failure or defeat

miss

fail to reach or get to

overreach

fail by aiming too high or trying too hard

ball up, blow, bobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, butcher, flub, fluff, foul up, fumble, louse up, mess up, mishandle, muck up, muff, screw up, spoil

make a mess of, destroy or ruin

strike out

be unsuccessful in an endeavor

fall

suffer defeat, failure, or ruin

shipwreck

suffer failure, as in some enterprise

fall flat, fall through, flop, founder

fail utterly; collapse

languish

fail to progress or succeed
“The water supply for the town
failed after a long drought”

synonyms:

give out, run out
verb

become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close

“A number of banks
failed that year”
verb

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”

synonyms:

betray

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘fail’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Look up fail for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the
words you need to know.

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.

Get started

Источник

fail feɪl

неудача, провал
повалившийся на экзамене
without fail ― непременно, обязательно; наверняка

I’ll come without fail ― я обязательно приду
терпеть неудачу
to fail in life ― быть неудачником (в жизни)

to fail in a suit ― юр. проиграть процесс

he failed for want of foresight ― он потерпел неудачу из-за
своей недальновидности
не сбываться, не удаваться
all our plans failed ― все наши планы рухнули

his attempt has failed ― его попытка не удалась

if our hopes should fail ― если наши надежды не оправдаются

to fail the height ― не взять высоту (легкая атлетика)
подводить, не оправдать ожиданий
as usual, he failed me at the last minute ― как всегда, он
подвел меня в последнюю минуту

I’ll be waiting for you, don’t fail me ― я буду ждать вас,
не подведите меня

his heart didn’t fail him ― у него сердце не дрогнуло; он
не испугался
быть недостаточным, не хватать
time wuold fail me ― у меня не будет времени, я не успею

words fail me ― я не нахожу слов, мне не хватает слов

his courage failed him in the end ― в конце концов у него не
хватило мужества (он струсил)

for once his wit failed him ― на этот раз он не нашел
остроумного ответа
испытывать недостаток (в чем-л.)
I fail words to express my thanks ― у меня нет слов, чтобы
выразить благодарность
уменьшаться в количестве; кончаться, иссякать
our water supply has failed ― у нас кончился запас воды,
нам не хватило воды
слабеть, ослабевать; терять силу
the wind failed ― ветер стих

the light failed ― свет погас

daylight is failing ― смеркается

his health failed ― его здоровье сильно пошатнулось

his sight is failing ― его зрение слабеет, он теряет зрение

his heart is failing ― у него сердце сдает

he is old and failing rapidly ― он стар и быстро теряет силы
замирать
the radio signals failed ― радиосигналы стали неразличимы
прекращаться, приходить к концу; вымирать
their family line failed ― их род угас

this house belonged to them until their family line failed
― этот дом принадлежал им, пока не умер последний представитель
их рода (пока не кончился их род)
переставать действовать, выходить из строя
the engine failed unexpectedly ― двигатель неожиданно отказал

the patient’s heart failed ― сердце больного перестало биться
комп. лог. не выполняться; быть ложным
проваливаться (на экзамене)
he failed in mathematics ― он провалился по математике
провалить (кого-л. на экзамене)
they failed two candidates ― они провалили двух кандидатов
разг. завалить, засыпать (какой-л. предмет на экзамене)
he failed chemistry ― он провалился по химии

she failed her driving test ― она не сдала экзамен по вождению
не уродиться (о какой-л. культуре); быть небольшим
(об урожае)

the potato crop failed this year ― в этом году картофель
не уродился
терпеть крах, обанкротиться (о фирме и т. п.); прекратить
платежи (о банке и т. п.)

to fail to do smth. ― не суметь, не быть в состоянии,
оказаться неспособным сделать что-л.; забыть сделать что-л.;
не позаботиться о чем-л.; не быть, не оказаться; не сделать

we failed to arrive in time ― нам не удалось приехать вовремя

all precautions failed to prevent the quarrel ― никакие
предосторожности не смогли предотвратить ссору

they failed to understand him ― они оказались не в состоянии
(не смогли) понять его

to fail to be moved ― оставаться равнодушным

his statements rarely failed to startle his hearers ― его
высказывания почти всегда поражали слушателей

they could hardly fail to meet ― они не могли не встретиться

things that cannot fail to be seen ― вещи, которых нельзя
не заметить

we cannot fail to be conscious of it ― мы не можем не сознавать
этого

the janitor had failed to call the fire department ― дворник
не позаботился о том, чтобы позвонить в пожарную охрану

don’t fail to let me know ― не забудьте сообщить мне

his name failed to appear in the list ― его фамилия оказалась
невключенной в список

the report cannot fail to arouse grave misgivings ― доклад не
может не вызвать серьезных опасений

he never fails to write to his mother every month ― он
неукоснительно пишет своей матери каждый месяц

he did not fail to keep his word ― он сдержал свое слово

to fail in smth. ― иметь какой-л. недостаток

to fail in beauty ― быть некрасивым

to fail in respect for smb. ― не уважать кого-л., непочтительно
относиться к кому-л.

this novel fails in unity ― в этом романе недостает внутреннего
единства

he’s a clever man but fails in perseverance ― он умный человек,
но ему не хватает упорства

his visit failed in its purpose ― его визит не достиг цели
(оказался неудачным)

fail-operational feɪl — ˌɔpəˈreɪʃənl

тех. надежный; прочный
тех. работающий без сбоев, без ошибок; бесперебойный
fail-operational system ― ошибкоустойчивая (отказоустойчивая)
система
тех. безопасный; безаварийный
сохраняющий работоспособность при отказе отдельных элементов
спец. самоотключающийся (при аварии)
спец. автоматически устранять повреждения
спец. устанавливать аппаратуру для автоматического
устранения повреждений

fail-place feɪl — pleɪs

огрех (на посеве)
плешина (в лесопосадках)

fail-safe feɪl — seɪf

тех. безопасность при аварии
тех. надежный; прочный
тех. работающий без сбоев, без ошибок; бесперебойный
fail-safe system ― ошибкоустойчивая (отказоустойчивая) система
тех. безопасный; безаварийный
сохраняющий работоспособность при отказе отдельных элементов
спец. самоотключающийся (при аварии)
спец. автоматически устранять повреждения
спец. устанавливать аппаратуру для автоматического
устранения повреждений

fail-safety feɪl — ˈseɪftɪ

спец. безаварийность
спец. сохранение работоспособности при отказе отдельных
элементов
спец. надежность; бесперебойность

failed feɪld

неудачный, неудавшийся
failed try ― спорт. неудачная попытка
обанкротившийся
failed firm ― обанкротившаяся фирма

failed actor ― актер-неудачник

failed mother ― мать, не сумевшая воспитать детей

a failed affair with… ― неудачный роман с…

failing ˈfeɪlɪŋ

ошибка; слабость; недостаток
we all have our failings ― у всех нас есть свои слабости

tardiness is one of his failings ― медлительность — один из
его недостатков
неудача, неуспех; провал
тех. отказ, перебой (в работе)
недостающий
слабеющий
failing sight ― слабеющее зрение
за неимением, ввиду отсутствия; в случае отсутствия
failing his arrival we shall stay here ― в случае, если он не
приедет, мы останемся здесь

failing a purchaser, he let the house ― так как покупателя не
нашлось (ввиду отсутствия покупателя), он сдал дом в аренду

failing instructions I did what I thought best ― не получив
никаких указаний, я поступил по своему разумению

failing an expression of a different intention (by a state)
― юр. если только (государство) не заявляет об ином намерении

failing any such provision ― юр. при отсутствии такого
постановления
в случае неудачи; если это не удастся
failing payment, we shall sue ― если нам не заплатят, мы
подадим в суд

faille feɪl

шелковая ткань

failsoft

спец.

возможность
работы системы при отказе отдельных ее элементов

failure ˈfeɪljə

неудача, неуспех, провал
dead failure ― полный провал

bitter failures ― горькие неудачи

failure of justice ― юр. неправильное судебное решение,
судебная ошибка

to end in failure ― окончиться неудачей

all his efforts ended in failure ― все его усилия были напрасны
(окончились неудачей)

to meet with failure ― терпеть неудачу

to invite failure ― обрекать себя на неудачу; вести к неудаче

by saying so you yourself invite failure ― говоря так, вы сами
себе готовите неудачу
провал на экзамене
недостаток (чего-л.); отсутствие (чего-л.)
failure of rain ― сушь, отсутствие дождей

crop failure ― неурожай
неудачник
he was a failure in art ― он был неудачником в искусстве
неудавшееся дело
his invention turned out (to be) a failure ― его изобретение
не оправдало надежд

the play was a failure ― пьеса провалилась
невыполнение, неосуществление
failure to keep a promise ― нарушение обещания

failure to pay a bill ― неуплата по счету
оплошность, недосмотр; ошибка
they made a failure of keeping watch ― они проглядели
что-л. несостоявшееся или не сделанное
failure to report ― юр. недонесение

alarm was felt at his failure to return ― когда он не вернулся,
все встревожились

failure to explain the noise worried us ― источник шума был
не установлен, и это нас волновало

his failure to answer questions made the police suspicious
― подозрения полиции были вызваны тем, что он не отвечал
на вопросы
несостоятельность, банкротство; прекращение платежей
numerous bank failures ― многочисленные банкротства
тех. авария, повреждение; перебой; отказ в работе;
остановка или перерыв в действии

there was a failure of electricity ― отключилось электричество

failure of a pump ― повреждение насоса

failure of shots ― горн. осечки (при палении)

failure inhibition ― предупреждение аварий

failure load ― разрушающая нагрузка
физ. тех. разрушение
комп. отказ; выход из строя; сбой; фатальная ошибка
геол. обвал, обрушение; оседание; сползание

Источник

Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

Главные переводы
английский		русский
fail⇒ vi	(not succeed)	потерпеть неудачу сов + ж вин
	(кн.)	потерпеть фиаско сов + ср вин
		провалиться сов
	The plan failed because they ran out of money.
	План потерпел неудачу (or:* провалился), потому что у них кончились деньги.*
fail vtr	(not pass)	провалиться сов + пред
	(разг.)	засыпаться сов + пред
	(разг.)	завалить сов + вин
	Bobby failed the exam.
	Бобби провалился (or:засыпался) на экзамене.
	Бобби завалил экзамен.
fail vi	(omit, neglect)	не быть, не оказаться част + несов
		пренебрегать несов + тв
		упускать несов + вин
		не хватать част + несов + род
Заметка: Зачастую переводится с помощью частицы «не».
	The directions failed to mention that the road was closed.
	В описании дороги не было указано, что шоссе было перекрыто.

fail [feɪl]
vt (exam, candidate) прова́ливать (провали́ть*perf)
(subj, person, memory) изменя́ть (измени́ть perf) +dat,
подводи́ть*(подвести́*perf)
(:courage) покида́ть (поки́нуть perf)

vi (candidate, attempt) прова́ливаться (провали́ться*perf)
(brakes) отка́зывать (отказа́ть*perf)

my eyesight/health is failing у меня́ слабе́ет зре́ние/здоро́вье
to fail to do не смочь*(perf) +infin

without fail обяза́тельно
the light is failing смерка́ется

* is used to mark translations which have irregular inflections. The Russian-English side of the dictionary gives inflectional information.

‘fail‘ также найдено в этих статьях:

Русский:

Источник

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

fail

Idioms about fail

Origin of fail

OTHER WORDS FROM fail

Words nearby fail

Words related to fail

How to use fail in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fail (1 of 2)

Word Origin for fail

British Dictionary definitions for fail (2 of 2)

Word Origin for fail

Other Idioms and Phrases with fail

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD FAIL

PRONUNCIATION OF FAIL

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF FAIL

WHAT DOES FAIL MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Failure

Definition of fail in the English dictionary

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO FAIL

PRESENT

PAST

FUTURE

CONDITIONAL

IMPERATIVE

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH FAIL

Synonyms and antonyms of fail in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS OF «FAIL»

Translation of «fail» into 25 languages

TRANSLATION OF FAIL

Translator English — Chinese

Translator English — Spanish

English

Translator English — Hindi

Translator English — Arabic

Translator English — Russian

Translator English — Portuguese

Translator English — Bengali

Translator English — French

Translator English — Malay

Translator English — German

Translator English — Japanese

Translator English — Korean

Translator English — Javanese

Translator English — Vietnamese

Translator English — Tamil

Translator English — Marathi

Translator English — Turkish

Translator English — Italian

Translator English — Polish

Translator English — Ukrainian

Translator English — Romanian

Translator English — Greek

Translator English — Afrikaans

Translator English — Swedish

Translator English — Norwegian

Trends of use of fail

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «FAIL»

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «FAIL» OVER TIME

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about fail

10 QUOTES WITH «FAIL»

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «FAIL»

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «FAIL»

Defenition of the word fail

Synonyms for the word fail

Similar words in the fail

Hyponyms for the word fail

Hypernyms for the word fail