Library / English Dictionary

FAIL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Get worse

Example:

Her health is declining

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "fail" is one way to...):

decline; worsen (grow worse)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 2

Meaning:

Stop operating or functioning

Example:

her eyesight went after the accident

Synonyms:

break; break down; conk out; die; fail; give out; give way; go; go bad

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "fail" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Verb group:

break (render inoperable or ineffective)

buy the farm; cash in one's chips; choke; conk; croak; decease; die; drop dead; exit; expire; give-up the ghost; go; kick the bucket; pass; pass away; perish; pop off; snuff it (pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fail"):

crash; go down (stop operating)

blow; blow out; burn out (melt, break, or become otherwise unusable)

misfire (fail to fire or detonate)

malfunction; misfunction (fail to function or function improperly)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

These cars won't fail

Derivation:

failure (loss of ability to function normally)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Prove insufficient

Example:

The water supply for the town failed after a long drought

Synonyms:

fail; give out; run out

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 4

Meaning:

Disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake

Example:

His children failed him in the crisis

Synonyms:

betray; fail

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "fail" is one way to...):

disappoint; let down (fail to meet the hopes or expectations of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 5

Meaning:

Become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close

Example:

A number of banks failed that year

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

failure (inability to discharge all your debts as they come due)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Fall short in what is expected

Example:

We must not fail his obligation to the victims of the Holocaust

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Verb group:

bomb; fail; flunk; flush it (fail to get a passing grade)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

failing (a flaw or weak point)

failure (an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Fail to get a passing grade

Example:

Did I fail the test?

Synonyms:

bomb; fail; flunk; flush it

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Verb group:

fail (fall short in what is expected)

fail (judge unacceptable)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

pass (go successfully through a test or a selection process)

Derivation:

failing (failure to reach a minimum required performance)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Judge unacceptable

Example:

The teacher failed six students

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "fail" is one way to...):

evaluate; judge; pass judgment (form a critical opinion of)

Verb group:

bomb; fail; flunk; flush it (fail to get a passing grade)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Antonym:

pass (accept or judge as acceptable)

Derivation:

failing (failure to reach a minimum required performance)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Be unsuccessful

Example:

The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably

Synonyms:

fail; go wrong; miscarry

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fail"):

fall flat; fall through; flop; founder (fail utterly; collapse)

shipwreck (suffer failure, as in some enterprise)

fall (suffer defeat, failure, or ruin)

strike out (be unsuccessful in an endeavor)

ball up; blow; bobble; bodge; bollix; bollix up; bollocks; bollocks up; botch; botch up; bumble; bungle; flub; fluff; foul up; fuck up; fumble; louse up; mess up; mishandle; muck up; muff; screw up; spoil (make a mess of, destroy or ruin)

overreach (fail by aiming too high or trying too hard)

miss (fail to reach or get to)

take it on the chin (undergo failure or defeat)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Antonym:

succeed (attain success or reach a desired goal)

Derivation:

failure (an act that fails)

failure (an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose)

failure (a person with a record of failing; someone who loses consistently)

failure (lack of success)

Sense 10

Meaning:

Fail to do something; leave something undone

Example:

The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account

Synonyms:

fail; neglect

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fail"):

lose track (fail to keep informed or aware)

strike out (put out or be put out by a strikeout)

default; default on (fail to pay up)

choke (fail to perform adequately due to tension or agitation)

muff (fail to catch, as of a ball)

miss (fail to attend an event or activity)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Derivation:

failure (an unexpected omission)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Be unable

Example:

I fail to understand your motives

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Antonym:

manage (be successful; achieve a goal)

Credits

 Context examples: 

One of two possible results of a pass/fail assessment; when the result satisfies a condition.

(Pass, NCI Thesaurus)

You may need an organ transplant if one of your organs has failed.

(Organ Transplantation, NIH)

The transfer of an organ (or part of one) from one body to another, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or failing organ with a working one from the donor.

(Organ Transplantation, NCI Thesaurus)

If I fail, you will see me again soon, or never.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Indicates that an individual fails to meet the criteria for a particular study.

(Not Meeting Criteria, NCI Thesaurus)

Issue arising from the device failing to deliver the specified liquid or gas.

(No Flow Medical Device Problem, Food and Drug Administration)

It should be differentiated from DRUG RESISTANCE wherein an organism, disease, or tissue fails to respond to the intended effectiveness of a chemical or drug.

(Drug tolerance, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

When your kidneys fail, you need treatment to replace the work your kidneys used to do.

(Dialysis, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

If the damage continues, your kidneys could fail.

(Diabetic Kidney Problems, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Issue associated with the device failing to complete a series of processes or events.

(Failure to Cycle Medical Device Problem, Food and Drug Administration)