fail
verb
us
/feɪl/ uk
/feɪl/fail verb (NOT SUCCEED)
[ + to infinitive ] She failed to reach the Wimbledon Final this year.
doomed to fail The reluctance of either side to compromise means that the talks are doomed to (= will certainly) fail.
- failWe tried our best, but ultimately the project failed.
- fall apartThings were going smoothly until we hired him, and now everything is falling apart.
- fall to piecesThe plan has potential, but unless we proceed carefully, it could fall to pieces.
- fall throughOur plans to visit fell through at the last minute.
- crackThe Liberal Party is cracking under the pressure of these allegations.
if all else fails
See more - If you fail these exams, you can resit them next year.
- It doesn't matter if you fail, just do your best.
- I shudder to think what my parents will say when I tell them I've failed my exams.
- Agricultural companies have failed to convince consumers that GM foods are safe.
- If this project fails it will affect not only our department, but also the whole organization.
- abjectly
- at-risk
- backbencher
- balls (something) up
- be on your beam ends idiom
- blow (someone/something) up
- bomb
- egg
- flog a dead horse idiom
- flop
- flub
- flunk out
- founder
- fray around/at the edges idiom
- mess
- running on empty idiom
- sclerotic
- screw
- screw (something) up
- the rot sets in idiom
fail verb (EXAM)
A2 [ I or T ]
- He's dreading his driving test - he's sure he's going to fail.
- Just because you wrote one bad paper doesn't mean you're going to fail your exam.
- If you fail these exams, you can resit them next year.
- I'm not surprised he failed his exam - he didn't exactly try very hard!
- She knew that by failing her exams she could jeopardize her whole future.
- achievement test
- Advanced Placement
- AP
- assessment
- can do phrase
- dictation
- exam
- mark scheme
- moderate
- pop quiz
- practical
- prelim
- probationary
- proctor
- psychometric
- quiz
- retake
- rubric
- sit
- viva
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fail verb (NOT DO)
B2 [ I ]
to not do something that you should do:
[ + to infinitive ] He failed to arrive on time.
fail to The staff had been promised a raise, but the money failed to (= did not) materialize.
You couldn't fail to be (= it is impossible that you would not be) affected by the movie.
- abjectly
- at-risk
- backbencher
- balls (something) up
- be on your beam ends idiom
- blow (someone/something) up
- bomb
- egg
- flog a dead horse idiom
- flop
- flub
- flunk out
- founder
- fray around/at the edges idiom
- mess
- running on empty idiom
- sclerotic
- screw
- screw (something) up
- the rot sets in idiom
fail verb (STOP)
- break downThe elevator has broken down again.
- stop workingI don’t understand it - my phone just stopped working.
- crashWhen your computer crashes, you need to reboot.
- failThe train’s brakes failed, causing it to derail.
- close downWith sales down, the company closed one factory down and reduced the workforce at another.
- closeMany of the shops on the main street have closed recently.
- shut downThe bookshop is shutting down after 25 years of business.
- shutUK Several of the bank's local branches are shutting.
- close up shopUS The old distillery has finally closed up shop.
- go/put out of businessMy favorite ice cream shop went out of business last summer.
- abate
- abatement
- adulterate
- adulterated
- adulteration
- be fading away/fast idiom
- dull
- emasculation
- enervate
- enervating
- enervatingly
- enfeeble
- hedge
- melt
- relieve
- tottering
- turn to jelly idiom
- undimmed
- unsubdued
- wane
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
fail verb (NOT HELP)
- abjectly
- anticlimactic
- anticlimax
- be cracked up to be something idiom
- be one in the eye for someone idiom
- blow
- bubble
- cracked
- dash
- disappointingly
- disappointment
- disenchantment
- dishearten
- disheartening
- leave someone in the lurch idiom
- let someone down
- let the side down idiom
- letdown
- non-event
- sick
UK
informal
epic fail My pancakes were an epic fail (= completely unsuccessful).
- failureFailure is not an option.
- breakdownThe complete breakdown of local infrastructure left residents without water or electricity.
- meltdownThe markets experienced a meltdown at the news of the sale.
- collapseThe automaker's collapse left the region's economy in tatters.
- failHe tried to sing the anthem, but it was an epic fail.
- another/the final nail in the coffin idiom
- bloodbath
- brain freeze
- breakdown
- busted flush
- car crash
- flop
- foul (something) up
- freefall
- game over idiom
- hash
- lemon
- loser
- lost cause
- parody
- pratfall
- reversal
- slim pickings
- slush pile
- track record
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