fail

Speech parts

1. fail - Noun

2. fail - Adjective

3. fail - Verb

4. Fail - Proper noun

Meaning

To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence; to cease to be furnished in the usual or expected manner, or to be altogether cut off from supply; to be lacking; as, streams fail; crops fail.

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 vigor, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker; as, a sick man fails.

To perish; to die; -- used of a person.

To be found wanting with respect to an action or a duty to be performed, a result to be secured, etc.; to miss; not to fulfill expectation.

To come short of a result or object aimed at or desired ; to be baffled or frusrated.

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.

To be wanting to ; to be insufficient for; to disappoint; to desert.

To miss of attaining; to lose.

Miscarriage; failure; deficiency; fault; -- mostly superseded by failure or failing, except in the phrase without fail.

Death; decease.

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Phrases with the word

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Examples

Try again. Fail again. Fail better. Samuel Beckett

It is folly to abstain all day long from food, but fail to abstain from sin and selfishness. John Chrysostom

In order to achieve anything you must be brave enough to fail. Kirk Douglas

Failing to plan is planning to fail. American Proverb

Epigrams might succeed where epics fail. Persian Proverb

An elephant can never fail to carry its tusks. Kiganda Proverb

Close letter words and terms