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Fail
Definitions
- 1 Unsuccessful; inadequate; unacceptable in some way. US, slang
- 1 A surname.
- 1 A failure, especially of a financial transaction (a termination of an action). countable, uncountable
- 2 A piece of turf cut from grassland.
- 3 A failing grade in an academic examination. countable, uncountable
- 4 A failure (something incapable of success). US, countable, slang, uncountable
- 5 Poor quality; substandard workmanship. slang, uncountable
"The project was full of fail."
- 1 To be unsuccessful. intransitive
"Throughout my life, I have always failed."
- 2 deteriorate wordnet
- 3 Not to achieve a particular stated goal. (Usage note: The direct object of this word is usually an infinitive.) transitive
"The truck failed to start."
- 4 stop operating or functioning wordnet
- 5 To neglect. transitive
"The report fails to take into account all the mitigating factors."
Show 21 more definitions
- 6 prove insufficient wordnet
- 7 Of a machine, etc.: to cease to operate correctly. intransitive
"After running five minutes, the engine failed."
- 8 disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake wordnet
- 9 To be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert; to disappoint one's expectations. transitive
"I've failed my parents many times growing up."
- 10 become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close wordnet
- 11 To receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits. ambitransitive
"I failed English last year."
- 12 fall short in what is expected wordnet
- 13 To give a student a non-passing grade in an academic endeavour. transitive
"The professor failed me because I did not complete any of the course assignments."
- 14 fail to get a passing grade wordnet
- 15 To miss attaining; to lose. obsolete, transitive
"though that seat of earthly bliss be failed"
- 16 judge unacceptable wordnet
- 17 To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence.
"The crops failed last year."
- 18 be unsuccessful wordnet
- 19 To be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; used with of. archaic
"If ever they fail of beauty, this failure is not to be attributed to their size."
- 20 fail to do something; leave something undone wordnet
- 21 To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink. archaic
"When earnestly they seek / Such proof, conclude they then begin to fail."
- 22 be unable wordnet
- 23 To deteriorate in respect to vigour, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker. archaic
"A sick man fails."
- 24 To perish; to die; used of a person. obsolete
"had the king in his last sickness failed"
- 25 To err in judgment; to be mistaken. obsolete
"Which ofttimes may succeed, so as perhaps / Shall grieve him, if I fail not."
- 26 To become unable to meet one's engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”). Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”).
Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”). Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”).
Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”). Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”).
Unknown. Compare Scottish Gaelic fàl (“hedge”), Scots faill (“turf”). Attested from the 16th century.
* As a Scottish and Irish surname, shortened from McPhail. * As a Manx surname, variant of Fayle. * As a south German surname, from the adjective feil (“for sale”).
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