111 results for: fail
fail Audio Help / feɪl / Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation [ feyl ] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –verb (used without object) 1. to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved: The experiment failed because of poor planning.
2. to receive less than the passing grade or mark in an examination, class, or course of study: He failed in history.
3. to be or become deficient or lacking; be insufficient or absent; fall short: Our supplies failed.
4. to dwindle, pass, or die away: The flowers failed for lack of rain.
5. to lose strength or vigor; become weak: His health failed after the operation.
6. to become unable to meet or pay debts or business obligations; become insolvent or bankrupt.
7. (of a building member, structure, machine part, etc.) to break, bend, crush, or be otherwise destroyed or made useless because of an excessive load.
8. to stop functioning or operating: The electricity failed during the storm.
–verb (used with object) 9. to be unsuccessful in the performance or completion of: He failed to do his duty.
10. (of some expected or usual resource) to prove of no use or help to: His friends failed him. Words failed her.
11. to receive less than a passing grade or mark in: He failed history.
12. to declare (a person) unsuccessful in a test, course of study, etc.; give less than a passing grade to: The professor failed him in history.
–noun 13. Stock Exchange . a. a stockbroker's inability to deliver or receive security within the required time after sale or purchase.
b. such an undelivered security.
14. Obsolete .
—Idiom 15. without fail, with certainty; positively: I will visit you tomorrow without fail.
[Origin:
1175–1225; ME
failen < AF, OF
faillir < VL
*fallīre, for L
fallere to disappoint, deceive
]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Synonym Collection v1.1 Cite This Source Main Entry: fail Part of Speech: noun Synonyms: bankruptcy , catastrophe , delinquency , demise , dereliction , deterioration , failure , fiasco , insolvency , miscarriage , neglect , omission , abstention , damp squib , defalcation , laches , misfeasance , nonperformance , pretermission Source: Synonym Collection v1.1
View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web
Reference: No results found in Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia and Crystal Reference Encyclopedia. Would you like to see the 82 entries in other encyclopedias , or search the Web for fail ?
Perform a new search , or try your search for "fail" at:
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/r/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [feyl] Pronunciation Key 