god that failed
A notable let-down or flop; a concept, product, or person that has failed to live up to very high expectations.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That new phone is a god that failed.”
“Many investors now view the collapsed startup as a god that failed.”
“The ambitious software project was supposed to change the industry, but it became a god that failed after the launch crashed.”
“After the expensive restaurant received terrible reviews for its poor service and cold food, the famous chef realized his new venture was a god that failed.”
“The political movement, once hailed as a savior of the working class, eventually revealed itself as a god that failed, leaving its followers disillusioned and bitter.”
first recorded 20th c.
Popularised by the 1949 publication of *The God That Failed*, a collection of essays written by prominent ex-communists. The volume critiqued the ideology of communism, characterising the movement as a God that had proved insufficient. The title provided the template for the modern idiom, which retains the original nouns and the specific sense of a grand ideal found to be fundamentally flawed.
- 01
bow down before the porcelain god
Synonym of worship the porcelain god (“to vomit into a toilet bowl”).
- 02
call someone everything but a child of God
To call someone many abusive names.
- 03
fail at life
To do anything disappointing; to fail significantly.
- 04
fail upwards
To advance in one's career despite failure or incompetence.
- 05
God forbid
indicating that the occurrence of something is very undesirable
- 06
God forfend
Don't let it be.
- 07
God is in the detail
Expresses the idea that whatever one does should be done thoroughly; i.e. details are important.
- 08
God's eye
A decorative diamond-shaped item woven from yarn, associated with Mexican and Central and South American Native American peoples.
Last updated August 10, 2026