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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.
From the M-W Editors
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
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After attempts to make contact with anyone inside failed, police forced their way into the home and found Bryson dead.
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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.
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The $4 billion Texas Clean Energy Project coal gasification plant met the same fate in August 2016 after failing to make progress quickly enough.
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After serving in World War II and finishing his degree, Christopher, then in his mid-twenties, failed to find fulfilling work.
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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.
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That money was never coming back, even if the apartment failed its inspection.
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One failed and the other was cancelled due to poor safety preparations.
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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.
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
fail
Definition of fail
Recent Examples of fail from the Web
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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.
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No fads, no gimmicks—just flawless skin in three steps without fail.
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But, without fail, one thing is always guaranteed to make a tantrum worse: a judgmental look from a stranger.
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Either way, the overwhelming backlash classifies this tone-deaf image as a total marketing fail.
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
see 1fail
FAIL Defined for English Language Learners
fail
playDefinition of fail for English Language Learners
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: to not succeed : to end without success
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: to not succeed as a business : to become bankrupt
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: to not do (something that you should do or are expected to do)
FAIL Defined for Kids
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.
Medical Dictionary
fail
playMedical 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
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
Learn More about fail
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See words that rhyme with fail Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fail Spanish Central: Translation of fail Nglish: Translation of fail for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fail for Arabic speakers
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