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- Dictionaryfail/feɪl/
verb
- 1. be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal: "he failed in his attempt to secure election"
- 2. neglect to do something: "the firm failed to give adequate risk warnings"
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"
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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.
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.
Fail definition: to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved. See examples of FAIL used in a sentence.
Definition of fail verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
The verb fail describes something that stops working, like brakes in a car that fail, or is found to be unacceptable, like restaurants that fail their inspection for cleanliness. The verb fail comes from the Old French word faillir, meaning “be lacking,” “miss,” or “not succeed.”
If a quality or ability that you have fails you, or if it fails, it is not good enough in a particular situation to enable you to do what you want to do. For once, the artist's fertile imagination failed him.
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.
FAIL definition: 1. to not be successful: 2. to not do what is necessary or expected: 3. to not pass a test or an…. Learn more.
Fail definition: To prove deficient or lacking; perform ineffectively or inadequately.
In everyday English, people usually say do not do something instead: The letter failed to arrive. → The letter didn’t arrive. 3 exam/test a) [ intransitive, transitive] to not pass a test or examination I failed my driving test the first time I took it. He failed maths but passed all his other subjects.
