1
[ verb ] fail to do something; leave something undone

Synonyms

neglect

Examples

"She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib" "The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account"

Used in print

(The Sun, [Baltimore],...)

Keegan , a 6 - foot - 3 - inch 158 - pounder , gave_up the Orioles ' last two safeties over the final three frames , escaping a load of trouble in the ninth when the Birds threatened but failed to tally .

Then three consecutive pinch_hitters failed to produce .

(High Fidelity, 11:10...)

From a technical standpoint , the string playing is good , but the Pro_Arte people fail to enter into the spirit of things here .

From the technical standpoint , records differ from live music to the degree that they fail to convey the true color , texture , complexity , range , intensity , pulse , and pitch of the original .

(Bonnie Prudden, "The Dancer and the Gymnast"...)

They often fail , however , to develop real abdominal , back , chest , shoulder and arm strength .

2
[ verb ] be unsuccessful

Synonyms

go_wrong miscarry

Examples

"Where do today's public schools fail?" "The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably"

Used in print

(Newark Evening News,...)

That failed .

That , too , will fail '' .

(The Atlanta Constitution...)

The Atlanta_Negro student movement renewed its demands for movie_theater integration Friday and threatened picketing and `` stand-ins '' if negotiations failed .

(The Oregonian, [Portland],...)

Finalists from the county 's east end failed to place .

(The Miami Herald,...)

When all else fails , it is argued that open sessions slow_down governmental operations .

3
[ verb ] disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake

Synonyms

betray

Examples

"His sense of smell failed him this time" "His strength finally failed him" "His children failed him in the crisis"

Used in print

("Editorials"...)

If this capacity had not failed them , they would see that their enemy has made a disastrous miscalculation .

(William S. Haymond, "Is Distance an Original...)

If , however , the figure to be discerned were complicated , composed of several interlocking subfigures , and_so_on , even the tracing process failed him , and he could not focus even relatively simple shapes among its parts .

Related terms

disappoint

4
[ verb ] stop operating or functioning

Examples

"The engine finally went" "The car died on the road" "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town" "The coffee maker broke" "The engine failed on the way to town" "her eyesight went after the accident"

Used in print

(William S. Haymond, "Is Distance an Original...)

Obviously , a satisfactory answer to the third question is imperative , if the argument is to get under_way at_all , for if there is any possibility of doubt whether the patient 's tactual sensitivity had been impaired by the occipital lesion , any findings whatsoever in regard_to the first question become completely ambiguous and fail altogether , of_course , as evidence to establish the desired conclusion .

5
[ verb ] be unable

Examples

"I fail to understand your motives"

Used in print

(U.S. Reports. Volume 364. Cases Adjudged in the...)

We fail to see how such procedure resulted in any prejudice to petitioner 's contention , which was considered by the appeal board and denied by it .

Related terms

pull_off

6
[ verb ] judge unacceptable

Examples

"The teacher failed six students"

Related terms

pass judge

7
[ verb ] become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close

Examples

"The toy company went bankrupt after the competition hired cheap Mexican labor" "A number of banks failed that year"

Related terms

bankruptcy

8
[ verb ] fall short in what is expected

Examples

"She failed in her obligations as a good daughter-in-law" "We must not fail his obligation to the victims of the Holocaust"

Related terms

failure

9
[ verb ] fail to get a passing grade

Synonyms

bomb flush_it flunk

Examples

"She studied hard but failed nevertheless" "Did I fail the test?"

Related terms

pass pass turkey failing

10
[ verb ] prove insufficient

Synonyms

give_out run_out

Examples

"The water supply for the town failed after a long drought"

11
[ noun ] Last name, frequency rank in the U.S. is 20916
12
[ verb ] get worse

Examples

"Her health is declining"

Related terms

worsen

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