fail.
To be unsuccessful.
Meaning & usage
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.
I've failed my parents many times growing up.
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 miss attaining; to lose.
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 be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; used with of.
To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink.
To deteriorate in respect to vigour, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker.
A sick man fails.
To perish; to die; used of a person.
To err in judgment; to be mistaken.
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.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el-der. Proto-Italic *falsō? Classical Latin fallere Vulgar Latin *fallīre Old French falirbor. Middle English failen English fail Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”). Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”).
A failure, especially of a financial transaction (a termination of an action).
A failing grade in an academic examination.
A failure (something incapable of success).
Poor quality; substandard workmanship.
The project was full of fail.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el-der. Proto-Italic *falsō? Classical Latin fallere Vulgar Latin *fallīre Old French falirbor. Middle English failen English fail Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”). Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”).
Unsuccessful; inadequate; unacceptable in some way.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el-der. Proto-Italic *falsō? Classical Latin fallere Vulgar Latin *fallīre Old French falirbor. Middle English failen English fail Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”). Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”).
A piece of turf cut from grassland.
Where this word comes from
Unknown. Compare Scottish Gaelic fàl (“hedge”), Scots faill (“turf”). Attested from the 16th century.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.