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fail
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As a verb, fail means be unsuccessful. As a noun, it means a failure (condition of being unsuccessful).
Meanings of fail
26 meaningsverb
To be unsuccessful.
“Throughout my life, I have always failed.”
Not to achieve a particular stated goal. (Usage note: The direct object of this word is usually an infinitive.)
“The truck failed to start.”
To neglect.
“The report fails to take into account all the mitigating factors.”
Of a machine, etc.: to cease to operate correctly.
“After running five minutes, the engine failed.”
To be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert; to disappoint one's expectations.
To receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits.
“I failed English last year.”
To give a student a non-passing grade in an academic endeavour.
“The professor failed me because I did not complete any of the course assignments.”
To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence.
“The crops failed last year.”
To become unable to meet one's engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent.
Fail to do something; leave something undone
“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”
Similar: neglectDisappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake
“His sense of smell failed him this time”
“His strength finally failed him”
“His children failed him in the crisis”
Similar: betrayJudge unacceptable
“The teacher failed six students”
Older and rare meanings (6)
obsoleteTo miss attaining; to lose.
archaicTo be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; used with of.
archaicTo fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink.
archaicTo deteriorate in respect to vigour, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker.
“A sick man fails.”
obsoleteTo perish; to die; used of a person.
obsoleteTo err in judgment; to be mistaken.
noun
slangA failure (condition of being unsuccessful).
slangUSA failure (something incapable of success).
A failure, especially of a financial transaction (a termination of an action).
A failing grade in an academic examination.
slangPoor quality; substandard workmanship.
“The project was full of fail.”
A piece of turf cut from grassland.
adjective
slangUSUnsuccessful; inadequate; unacceptable in some way.
Meanings from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).