I don't want to fail my exams.
Source: tatoeba (2109)
Fail
/feɪl/
Synonyms for "fail" (408 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (10)
Strong matches (15)
Related words (25)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abandon, abort, age, aww, back.
- collapse: 'Collapse' is catastrophic, it implies complete structural failure, not just underperformance.
- Sentence evidence is available for fail, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "fail".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "fail"
Keep "fail" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "fail" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "fail", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "fail" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
How these synonyms differ
- collapse - 'Collapse' is catastrophic, it implies complete structural failure, not just underperformance.
- falter - 'Falter' suggests a stumble, not a collapse, momentum wavers but recovery is still possible.
- flounder - 'Flounder' implies clumsy struggling, failing in a visible, ungraceful way without direction or control.
- stumble - 'Stumble' suggests a misstep you might recover from, a temporary setback, not a terminal failure.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
29 entriesShowing 16 of 29 words.
More specific
21 entriesShowing 16 of 21 words.
Collocations
13 entriesacademic failacademic failurecourse failureepic failexam failurefail ratefailing gradefunny failhumiliating failmajor failpass or failtest failuretotal fail
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
3 entriessimilar
22 entriesShowing 16 of 22 words.
Translations
15 translations across 12 languages.
Czech
1 entries- nechat propadnout verb (cause to fail)
Danish
1 entries- dumpe verb (cause to fail)
Dutch
1 entries- buizen verb (cause to fail)
Esperanto
1 entries- malsukcesigi verb (cause to fail)
Finnish
3 entries- pysäyttää verb (cause to fail)
- rikkoa verb (cause to fail)
- vioittaa verb (cause to fail)
French
1 entries- recaler verb (cause to fail)
Hungarian
1 entries- megbuktat verb (cause to fail)
Portuguese
1 entries- reprovar verb (cause to fail)
Romanian
1 entries- strica verb (cause to fail)
Russian
2 entries- прова́ливать verb (cause to fail)
- провали́ть verb (cause to fail)
Tagalog
1 entries- biguin verb (cause to fail)
Turkish
1 entries- sınıfta bırakmak verb (cause to fail)
Sample sentences
34 total sentences available.
You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.
Source: tatoeba (2278)
You must work hard in order not to fail.
Source: tatoeba (16027)
Your plan is bound to fail.
Source: tatoeba (17255)
Showing 4 of 34 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "fail"?
Closest matches include abandon, abort, age, aww, back.
How is "collapse" different from "fail"?
'Collapse' is catastrophic, it implies complete structural failure, not just underperformance.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "fail"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.