SINCE 1828
fail
verb
\ ˈfāl
\
\
failed;
failing;
fails
Definition of fail
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: to lose strength : weaken
her health was failing
b
: to fade or die away
until our family line fails
c
: to stop functioning normally
the patient's heart failed
2a
: to fall short
failed in his duty
b
: to be or become absent or inadequate
the water supply failed
c
: to be unsuccessful
the marriage failed
specifically
: to be unsuccessful in achieving a passing grade
took the exam and failed
d
: to become bankrupt or insolvent
banks were failing
1a
: to disappoint the expectations or trust of
her friends failed her
b
: 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 chemistry
b
: to grade (someone, such as a student) as not passing
The teacher failed only his two worst students.
fail
nounDefinition of fail (Entry 2 of 2)
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Other Words from fail
Verb
failingly
\ ˈfā-liŋ-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for fail
Synonyms: Verb
break, break down, conk (out), crash, cut out, die, give out, stall
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of fail in a Sentence
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: Verb
While Microsoft’s phone business may have failed, PCs are clearly a success story in Redmond. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Microsoft's Surface sales soar to nearly $2 billion, though chip shortages are hurting," 31 Jan. 2019 After failing to get assurances at UBS, Mr. Orcel responded when Ms. Botín courted him for the role last summer, people familiar with his hiring said. — Liz Hoffman, WSJ, "Santander Cancels Andrea Orcel’s Appointment as CEO Over Compensation," 15 Jan. 2019 Few hotels in the Emirates fail to boast a boldface name, as openings from the likes of Joel Robuchon, Jason Atherton, even Guy Fieri, abound. — Adam Robb, Condé Nast Traveler, "Behind the Scenes at Massimo Bottura's New Dubai Restaurant," 27 Dec. 2018 After failing to get in contact with Amazon about the issue, the man brought the files to c’t, where reporters were able to piece together who the Alexa user was. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "Amazon sent 1,700 Alexa voice recordings to the wrong user following data request," 20 Dec. 2018 After failing in 2016, Colorado activists mounted a new campaign to remove the slavery language With the amendment on the ballot for a second time in 2018, advocates argued that the state had a second chance to officially abolish prison slavery. — P.r. Lockhart, Vox, "Colorado passes Amendment A, voting to officially abolish prison slavery," 7 Nov. 2018 Guests became frustrated when the hotel’s robots failed to keep pace with Siri or Alexa. — Takashi Mochizuki, WSJ, "Robot Hotel Loses Love for Robots," 14 Jan. 2019 Critics often point to Victoria's seemingly all-consuming affection for Albert and her laments that their children failed to console her in his absence. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "What Was Queen Victoria Like as a Mother?," 13 Jan. 2019 Iconic American retailers Sears and Kmart may officially close their doors for good after a potential takeover bid for parent company Sears Holdings reportedly failed today, Reuters revealed. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Sears and Kmart Stores May Liquidate After Latest Bankruptcy News," 8 Jan. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The hairspray favored by everyone from the original supermodels to your grandmother is still a fashion staple for its fail-proof, flexible, buildable hold. — Mackenzie Wagoner, Vogue, "The 10 Beauty Products Every Model Has in Her Medicine Cabinet," 22 Aug. 2018 The bane of my existence barks and whines at all hours of the day and night, with particularly lengthy performances beginning at 5:30 a.m. without fail. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "I Can’t Sleep Without My Big Red Rooster White Noise Machine," 11 Jan. 2019 So that was the biggest fail of the entire experience. — Nora Deligter, Vogue, "On the Registry: Becca and Christine McCharen-Tran Requested Everything Outdoorsy," 30 May 2018 It can be failed and retaken multiple times in the same day, though after the third fail, the test taker will have to pay the $30 fee again. — Robert Duffer, chicagotribune.com, "Taking the test: Written driver's exam instills fear in autos editor," 25 July 2017 Toyota said then that certain parts of the control system could be damaged by heat, causing the hybrid system to reset without entering the fail-safe mode. — Sean Mclain, WSJ, "Toyota Recalls More Than 2 Million Vehicles Over Hybrid-System Fault," 5 Oct. 2018 Also: Why is flooding the valley a fail-safe, as Charlotte put it? — William Lee, chicagotribune.com, "‘Westworld’ Episode 10 recap: 5 things to know about ‘The Passenger’ and Season 2's finale," 24 June 2018 The Republican Party had a fail-safe option, but was unwilling or unable to maneuver El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells into the primary election runner-up position on Tuesday that would have put him on the fall ballot with Hunter. — Michael Smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Republicans working without a net in Rep. Hunter's district," 7 June 2018 Mexico has sometimes been a World Cup underachiever, often had more talent than tenacity, and regularly saw its nerve fail when the opportunity for greatness presented. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "Is Mexico the real deal? Upset of Germany could be the start of a deep World Cup run," 17 June 2018These 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.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The History of 'Epic Fail'
The History of 'Epic Fail'
People have used 'fail' to mean 'failure' since the 1600s
Statistics for fail
Last Updated
16 Feb 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for fail
The first known use of fail was in the 13th century
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More Definitions for fail
fail
verb
English Language Learners Definition of fail
: 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)
See the full definition for fail in the English Language Learners Dictionary
fail
verb
\ ˈfāl
\
\
failed;
failing
Kids Definition of fail
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
: neglect entry 1 sense 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
nounKids Definition of fail (Entry 2 of 2)
: failure sense 2
We met daily without fail.
fail
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
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fail
intransitive verbLegal 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
: to leave undone or neglect to do
fail to appear in court fail to read a contract
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Comments on fail
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