fail

verb
UK: /feɪl/
US: /feɪl/

  1. To not succeed in what you are trying to do.

    1. I fail every time I try to cook it. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company will fail if it doesn't adapt to changing market conditions. [ ] [ ]

  2. To disappoint someone by not doing what they expected.

    1. I didn't want to fail my parents. [ ] [ ]
    2. The government has failed to address the critical issue of climate change effectively. [ ] [ ]

  3. To stop working or not work as well as it should.

    1. The car brakes can fail any time. [ ] [ ]
    2. The old bridge is beginning to fail under the increased weight of traffic. [ ] [ ]

  4. To get a bad mark in a test or exam.

    1. I don't want to fail the test. [ ] [ ]
    2. Many students fail the exam because they don't prepare adequately. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

founder collapse decline miss flunk bomb
fail noun

  1. A situation in which someone or something does not succeed.

    1. The plan was a complete fail. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company's fail was attributed to poor management and lack of innovation. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "fail" in English means: To not succeed in what you are trying to do., To disappoint someone by not doing what they expected., To stop working or not work as well as it should., To get a bad mark in a test or exam..

The phonetic transcription of "fail" is /feɪl/ in British English and /feɪl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "fail": founder, collapse, decline, miss, flunk, bomb.

Example usage of "fail": "I fail every time I try to cook it.". More examples on the page.