fail

play

verb \ˈfāl\

Definition of fail

intransitive verb
1a : to lose strength : weaken her health was failingb : to fade or die away until our family line failsc : to stop functioning normally the patient's heart failed
2a : to fall short failed in his dutyb : to be or become absent or inadequate the water supply failedc : to be unsuccessful the marriage failed; specifically : to be unsuccessful in achieving a passing grade took the exam and failedd : to become bankrupt or insolvent banks were failing
transitive verb
1a : to disappoint the expectations or trust of her friends failed herb : to miss performing an expected service or function for his wit failed him
2 : to be deficient in : lack never failed an invincible courage — Douglas MacArthur
3 : to leave undone : neglect fail to lock the door
4a : to be unsuccessful in passing failed chemistryb : to grade (someone, such as a student) as not passing The teacher failed only his two worst students.

failingly

play \ˈfā-liŋ-lē\ adverb

See fail defined for English-language learners

See fail defined for kids

Examples of fail in a Sentence

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 of fail from the Web

After attempts to make contact with anyone inside failed, police forced their way into the home and found Bryson dead.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "$5,000 reward offered for information on death of Southern Indiana man", 6 July 2017
After in-house attempts to recover the meetings from a computer hard drive failed, the county turned to a national data recovery firm, KrollOntrack, for help.

— sheila vilvens, Cincinnati.com, "Clermont County Roundup: Technology glitch, rowers, garden tours and more", 5 July 2017
The $4 billion Texas Clean Energy Project coal gasification plant met the same fate in August 2016 after failing to make progress quickly enough.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Major “Clean Coal” Project in Mississippi Shuts Down", 4 July 2017
After serving in World War II and finishing his degree, Christopher, then in his mid-twenties, failed to find fulfilling work.

— maria carter, Country Living, "Why the Real Christopher Robin Hated 'Pooh'", 3 July 2017
Bryan Lankford’s death sentence was reversed when the U.S. Supreme Court found that the state failed to notify him that a death sentence could be imposed if he was found guilty.

— john sowell, idahostatesman, "Convicted twice for killing a couple camping in Idaho, this man now gets a 3rd trial", 3 July 2017
That money was never coming back, even if the apartment failed its inspection.

— alden woods, azcentral, "60 days to find a home: Lack of affordable housing forces renters to settle", 2 July 2017
One failed and the other was cancelled due to poor safety preparations.

— r. jeffrey smith, Science | AAAS, "Safety problems at a Los Alamos laboratory", 30 June 2017
Despite three warnings and a multimillion-dollar fine a few years ago, Kaiser Permanente still fails to provide members with appropriate access to mental health care, according to a recent survey of the HMO by the state of California.

— jenny gold, Kaiser Health News, "Kaiser Permanente Cited — Again — For Mental Health Access Problems", 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fail'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fail

Middle English failen, from Anglo-French faillir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere to deceive, disappoint

NEW!

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

fail

noun

Definition of fail

1 : failure —usually used in the phrase without fail Every day, without fail, he has toast and coffee for breakfast.
2 : a failure (as by a security dealer) to deliver or receive securities within a prescribed period after purchase or sale

See fail defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of fail from the Web

As a fail-safe, the motherboard is enclosed in a mesh sleeve that can’t be unscrewed, cracked, or even bored through, thanks to a circuit lining the interior that shatters at the touch of a drill bit.

— michael calore, WIRED, "This Ultra-Secure PC Self Destructs if Someone Messes With It", 23 June 2017
No fads, no gimmicks—just flawless skin in three steps without fail.

— amber kallor, Marie Claire, "The Foundation Mistake Almost All Women Make", 28 Apr. 2017
But, without fail, one thing is always guaranteed to make a tantrum worse: a judgmental look from a stranger.

— caralynn lippo, Redbook, "Dad Claps Back At Strangers Who Were Pissed Off By His Daughter's Tantrum", 9 Mar. 2017
Either way, the overwhelming backlash classifies this tone-deaf image as a total marketing fail.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "Shoppers Are Totally Baffled by Zara's "Love Your Curves" Ad Campaign", 1 Mar. 2017

Origin and Etymology of fail

see ¹fail

NEW!

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

FAIL Defined for English Language Learners

fail

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verb

Definition of fail for English Language Learners

: to not succeed : to end without success
: to not succeed as a business : to become bankrupt
: to not do (something that you should do or are expected to do)

FAIL Defined for Kids

fail

play

verb \ˈfāl\

Definition of fail for Students

failed

;

failing

1 : to be unsuccessful He failed the test.
2 : to grade as not passing My teacher failed me.
3 : to stop functioning The engine failed.
4 : to be or become absent or not enough The water supply failed.
5 : to become bankrupt The business failed.
6 : ¹neglect 2 Don't fail to ask if you need my help.
7 : disappoint, desert I need your help. Please don't fail me.
8 : to lose strength : weaken She's failing in health.
9 : to fall short One drink failed to satisfy my thirst.
10 : to die away The family line failed.

fail

play

noun

Definition of fail for Students

: failure 2 We met daily without fail.

Medical Dictionary

fail

play

intransitive verb \ˈfā(ə)l\

Medical Definition of fail

1: to weaken or lose strength her health was failing
2: to stop functioning normally the patient's heart failed

Law Dictionary

fail

intransitive verb

Legal Definition of fail

1 : to be or become inadequate or unsuccessful especially in fulfilling certain formal requirements even if one or more terms are left open, a contract for sale does not fail for indefiniteness — Uniform Commercial Code
2 : to become bankrupt or insolvent
transitive verb
: to leave undone or neglect to do fail to appear in court fail to read a contract