Synonyms of failed

failed 1 of 2

adjective

1

as in unsuccessful

Related Words

• unsuccessful
• failing
• inauspicious
• collapsing
• unpromising
• no-good
• washing-out
• declining
• destroyed
• bankrupt
• folding
• hopeless
• slipping
• waning
• flopping
• futureless
• flunking
• ruined
• wrecked
• slumping
• kerflooey
• kaput

Dissimilar Words

• successful
• going
• triumphant
• promising
• prosperous
• thriving
• flourishing
• coming
• robust
• palmy
• growing
• booming
• roaring

2

as in inadequate

Related Words

• inadequate
• disappointing
• deficient
• inferior
• atrocious
• normal
• representative
• typical
• unsatisfactory
• ordinary
• average
• vile
• poor
• wretched
• execrable
• substandard
• mediocre
• bad
• low-grade
• second-class
• second-rate

Dissimilar Words

• definitive
• model
• exemplary
• quintessential
• classic
• special
• paradigmatic
• unique
• ideal
• archetypal
• perfect
• flawless
• imitable
• textbook
• impeccable
• absolute
• nonpareil

failed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of fail

1

as in died

to stop functioning

my car failed just as I was about to head to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

• died
• crashed
• stalled
• broke
• cut out
• gave out
• broke down
• sputtered
• conked (out)
• fizzled
• jammed
• malfunctioned
• wheezed
• acted up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• started (up)

2

as in collapsed

to be unsuccessful

despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office

Synonyms & Similar Words

• collapsed
• flopped
• struggled
• missed
• folded
• bombed
• flunked
• declined
• foundered
• struck out
• tanked
• came up empty
• fell short
• fell flat
• cratered
• crashed
• came to grief
• laid an egg
• washed out
• flamed out
• slipped
• came a cropper
• died on the vine
• floundered
• slumped
• skidded
• fell on one's face
• waned
• crumbled
• misfired
• sank
• miscarried
• imploded
• went under
• self-destructed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• succeeded
• went
• delivered
• worked out
• clicked
• went over
• came off
• flourished
• thrived
• cooked
• prospered
• won
• prevailed
• panned out
• triumphed

3

as in disappointed

to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of

although the minor-league franchise continues to fail local fans, hope springs eternal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disappointed
• dissatisfied
• let down
• upset
• cheated
• displeased
• deceived
• disillusioned
• distressed
• chagrined
• discontented
• disenchanted
• disgruntled
• deluded
• mocked
• bummed (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• satisfied
• gratified
• fulfilled
• contented
• gladdened

4

as in weakened

to lose bodily strength or vigor

ever since she reached the age of 90, Grandma has been noticeably failing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weakened
• faded
• went
• sagged
• sank
• lagged
• deteriorated
• flagged
• decayed
• withered
• drooped
• wasted (away)
• languished
• wilted
• emaciated
• yielded
• broke down
• degenerated
• rotted
• wore out
• ran down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recovered
• rallied
• rebounded
• recuperated
• gained
• convalesced

5

as in forgot

to miss the opportunity or obligation

failed to mention that he was looking for new job

Synonyms & Similar Words

• forgot
• neglected
• omitted
• ignored
• missed out on
• disregarded
• passed over
• defaulted
• skipped
• slipped
• overlooked
• slid
• pretermitted
• overpassed
• slighted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• remembered
• did
• observed
• kept
• performed
• executed
• carried out
• heeded
• practiced
• met
• satisfied
• fulfilled
• minded
• discharged
• complied (with)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of failed

Adjective

The failed 2-point try and the defense's failure to get off the field coast them late. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

The failed 2-point try and the defense’s failure to get off the field coast them late. — Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has been approved to move to a halfway house next year, ABC News reported, years after her stunning downfall that culminated in a conviction for defrauding investors while running her failed blood testing startup. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026

Hilgemann pointed to Oregon's failed Initiative Petition 28, which would have removed certain exceptions from the state's animal-abuse laws. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Advertisement The war on terror represented a failed effort to impose a unipolar order on the world, one that could no longer rely on the economic instrumentality of globalization alone. — Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026

At the time, the Mets were playing particularly badly and making a lot of mistakes on the basepaths, so Ewing’s two failed attempts were somewhat magnified. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 8 Sep. 2026

An investor sees the breadth divergence, watches the failed breakouts and notices the heavier down-volume, but then waits for a headline to confirm what the price data has already said. — Thomas Hartmann, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026

And he is unscathed by the Iran war, unlike Vance, who negotiated June’s failed ceasefire. — Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 28 Aug. 2026

Verb

The county has failed to provide evidence that the quarry owner’s reclamation plan wouldn’t substantially interfere with animals’ movement, wrote Kim Freeburn, an environmental program manager with the department. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

In the end, Michigan had one more shot to make a stop to seal the win and failed. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

Negotiations between the company and the Pentagon spiraled in February after the two sides failed to agree on how the military could use its models. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026

The Chiefs may come out of this one concerned about their young defense, which failed to consistently pressure Willis and was leaky in the secondary. — Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026

However, Arkansas State once again failed to take advantage of a scoring opportunity as Clune Van Andel missed his second field goal on a 42-yard attempt. — Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026

Seasonal flu vaccinations have been called off this year after the government failed to procure them from Europe. — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

The onslaught amounted to a rare success for Ukraine’s summer drone campaign against Moscow, which had failed to breach any of the city’s air defenses for months. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2026

Still, much else that Guatemalans had hoped for has failed to materialize. — Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026