fail
- 01 A2 Elementary
v.to not succeed in achieving a goal or doing what you tried to do.
v.to be unsuccessful in an endeavour or to fall short of a required standard.
Simple“He failed to finish the race because he hurt his leg halfway through.”
In context“Despite their significant investment in research and development, the startup failed to capture a viable share of the competitive smartphone market.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
v.to not pass a test or an exam; also, when a teacher gives you a non-passing grade.
v.to receive or assign a non-passing grade in an academic context. Ambitransitive use.
Simple“I am worried that I might fail my driving test for the second time.”
In context“The professor warned that he would fail any student who was caught plagiarising their final thesis.”
SynonymsflunkAntonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
v.when a machine, a part of the body, or a system stops working correctly.
v.to cease functioning properly or to break down, often used of mechanical systems or biological organs.
Simple“The car's brakes failed while he was driving down the steep hill.”
In context“The backup generators failed during the storm, leaving the entire hospital without power for several critical hours.”
Synonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to not be there for someone when they need you, or to disappoint them.
v.to prove deficient or insufficient in a time of need; to let someone down or desert them.
Simple“I needed my friend's help, but she failed me when things got difficult.”
In context“Words failed him as he stood before the crowd, unable to express the depth of his gratitude for their support.”
Synonyms - 05 B1 Intermediate
n.a result that is not a pass, or a situation that did not go well.
n.an instance of failure, particularly an academic grade that is not a pass.
Simple“He was very upset when he saw a fail on his report card.”
In context“The inspector recorded a fail for the building's safety systems, citing several blocked emergency exits.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a funny or embarrassing mistake, often shown in videos or photos.
n.a humiliating or ridiculous mistake or failure, often used in digital contexts to mock an error.
Simple“The video of the cat missing the jump was a total fail.”
In context“The marketing campaign was an absolute fail, as the slogan was accidentally translated into something offensive.”
Usage fails to reach · approach fail · attempt fail
Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”). Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”).
Unknown. Compare Scottish Gaelic fàl (“hedge”), Scots faill (“turf”). Attested from the 16th century.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.