Yahoo India Web Search

Search results

1. Dictionary

   fail

   /feɪl/

   verb

   • 1. be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal: "he failed in his attempt to secure election"
   • ▪ be unsuccessful in (an examination or interview): "she failed her finals" Similar be unsuccessful innot passbe found wantingbe found deficientnot make the gradenot pass musternot come up to scratchbe rejectedinformal:flunkOpposite pass
   • ▪ (of a person or a commodity) be unable to meet the standards set by (a test of quality or eligibility): "a player has failed a drugs test"
   • ▪ judge (a candidate in an examination or test) not to have passed: "the criteria used to pass or fail the candidate"
   • 2. neglect to do something: "the firm failed to give adequate risk warnings"
   • ▪ behave in a way contrary to expectations by not doing something: "commuter chaos has again failed to materialize"
   • ▪ used to express a strong belief that something must be the case: "she cannot have failed to be aware of the situation"
   • ▪ used to indicate that something invariably happens: "such comments never failed to annoy him"
   • ▪ desert or let down (someone): "at the last moment her nerve failed her" Similar let downdisappointbreak one's promise todash someone's hopesfall short of someone's expectationsneglectdesertabandonbetraybe disloyal tobe unfaithful tobreak faith withplay someone falseinformal:do the dirty onbail onarchaic:forsakeOpposite support
   • 3. cease to work properly; break down: "a lorry whose brakes had failed" Similar break downbreakstop workingcease to functioncut outstopstallcrashgive outmalfunctionact upgo wrongdevelop a faultbe faultybe defectiveinformal:conk outgo kaputgo phutgive up the ghostgo on the blinkbe on the blinkpack upplay upOpposite workbe in working order
   • ▪ become weaker or of poorer quality: "the light began to fail" Similar fadegrow lessgrow dimdimdie awaydwindlewanedisappearvanishpeter outdissolvedeterioratedegeneratedeclinego into declinefadediminishdwindlewaneebbsinkcollapsedecayOpposite improve
   • ▪ (of rain or a crop or supply) be insufficient when needed or expected: "the drought means crops have failed" Similar be deficientbe wantingbe lackingfall shortbe insufficientbe inadequatenot come to ripenesswitherOpposite thrive
   • ▪ (of a business or a person) cease trading because of lack of funds: "he lost his savings when the store failed" Similar be unsuccessfulnot succeedlack successfall throughfall flatbreak downabortmiscarrybe defeatedsuffer defeatbe in vainbe frustratedcollapsefoundermisfirebackfirenot come up to scratchmeet with disastercome to griefcome to nothingcome to naughtmiss the markrun agroundgo astrayinformal:flopfizzle outflatlinecome a cropperbite the dustbombblow up in someone's facego down like a lead ballooncollapsecrashgo undergo bankruptbecome insolventgo into receivershipbe in the hands of the receiversgo into liquidationcease tradingcease productionbe closedbe shut downclose downbe wound upinformal:foldflopgo bustgo brokego bumpgo to the wallgo belly upOpposite succeedthrive

   noun

   • 1. a mark which is not high enough to pass an examination or test: "a fail grade"
   • 2. a mistake, failure, or instance of poor performance: informal "their customer service is a massive fail"

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French faillir (verb), faille (noun), based on Latin fallere ‘deceive’.

   Scrabble Points: 7

   • F

     4

   • A

     1

   • I

     1

   • L

     1

   Powered by Oxford Dictionaries

   More definitions, origin and scrabble points

2. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishFAIL | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   FAIL definition: 1. to not succeed in what you are trying to achieve or are expected to do: 2. if none of our plans…. Learn more.

3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › failFail Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › fail

   • Cached

   1. a. : to lose strength : weaken. her health was failing. b. : to fade or die away. until our family line fails. c. : to stop functioning normally. the patient's heart failed. 2. a. : to fall short. failed in his duty. b. : to be or become absent or inadequate. the water supply failed. c. : to be unsuccessful. the marriage failed.

4. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › failFail - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › fail

   Learn the meaning of the verb fail, which can mean to stop working, to be unacceptable, to fall short, or to get a low grade. Find synonyms, examples, and related words for fail on Vocabulary.com.

5. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishfail verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

   • Cached

   Learn the meaning, pronunciation, usage and examples of the verb fail in English. Find out the synonyms, idioms, collocations and word origin of fail.

6. www.thefreedictionary.com › failFail - definition of fail by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › fail

   • Cached

   1. to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved: The experiment failed. 2. to receive less than the passing grade or mark in an examination, class, or course of study. 3. to be or become deficient or lacking; fall short. 4. to lose strength or vigor; become weak.

7. www.dictionary.com › browse › failFAIL Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › fail

   • Cached

   Fail definition: to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved. See examples of FAIL used in a sentence.

8. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishFAIL definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   Learn the various meanings and uses of the word fail as a verb and a noun in English. Find synonyms, pronunciation, grammar, examples, and related words for fail.

9. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishFAIL | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

   • Cached

   Learn the meaning of fail as a verb and a noun, with synonyms, translations and usage examples. Find out how to use fail in different contexts, such as business, exams, health and relationships.

10. www.collinsdictionary.com › us › dictionaryFAIL - All you need to know about it | Collins English Dictionary

    www.collinsdictionary.com › us › dictionary

    • Cached

    Definitions of 'fail' 1. If you fail to do something that you were trying to do, you are unable to do it or do not succeed in doing it. [...] 2. If an activity, attempt, or plan fails, it is not successful. [...] 3. If someone or something fails to do a particular thing that they should have done, they do not do it. [formal] [...] More.

11. www.ldoceonline.com › dictionary › failfail | meaning of fail in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary...

    www.ldoceonline.com › dictionary › fail

    • Cached

    Learn the meaning of fail as a verb and its related words, such as failure, failing, and unfailing. See how to use fail in different contexts, such as exams, business, health, and nature.