fail

fail
verb
1 not succeed
ADVERB
dismally, miserably

I tried to cheer her up, but failed miserably.

spectacularly

She came up with several plans that failed spectacularly before finally achieving success.

never

That joke never fails.

VERB + FAIL
cannot

The song can't fail to be a hit (= will definitely be a hit).

can hardly
be bound to, be destined to, be doomed to

an enterprise that was doomed to fail from the start

PREPOSITION
in

Doctors are failing in their duty if they do not warn their patients of the dangers.

PHRASES
try and fail

Others have tried and failed.

2 fail to do sth not do sth
ADVERB
completely, totally

The authorities have totally failed to address this problem.

Fail is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑appeal, ↑approach, ↑attack, ↑attempt, ↑bid, ↑brake, ↑business, ↑campaign, ↑claim, ↑company, ↑crop, ↑diplomacy, ↑economy, ↑effort, ↑engine, ↑enterprise, ↑experiment, ↑eyesight, ↑firm, ↑gamble, ↑harvest, ↑health, ↑heart, ↑initiative, ↑light, ↑manoeuvre, ↑marriage, ↑merger, ↑mission, ↑move, ↑negotiation, ↑nerve, ↑plan, ↑rebellion, ↑referendum, ↑reform, ↑relationship, ↑revolution, ↑scheme, ↑sight, ↑signal, ↑strategy, ↑strength, ↑system, ↑tactic, ↑talk, ↑word
Fail is used with these nouns as the object: ↑A level, ↑audition, ↑class, ↑course, ↑exam, ↑examination, ↑final, ↑inspection, ↑physical, ↑practical, ↑subject, ↑task, ↑test

Collocations dictionary. 2013.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • fail — vi 1: to be or become inadequate or unsuccessful esp. in fulfilling certain formal requirements even though one or more terms are left open a contract for sale does not fail for indefiniteness Uniform Commercial Code 2: to become bankrupt or… …   Law dictionary

  • Fail — (f[=a]l) v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Failed} (f[=a]ld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Failing}.] [F. failir, fr. L. fallere, falsum, to deceive, akin to E. fall. See {Fail}, and cf. {Fallacy}, {False}, {Fault}.] 1. To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fail — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Fail Freguesia de Portugal …   Wikipedia Español

  • fail — fail·ing·ly; fail; fail·ure; jeo·fail; un·fail·ing; un·fail·ing·ly; un·fail·ing·ness; …   English syllables

  • Fail — Fail, n. [OF. faille, from failir. See {Fail}, v. i.] 1. Miscarriage; failure; deficiency; fault; mostly superseded by {failure} or {failing}, except in the phrase without fail. His highness fail of issue. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Death; decease.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fail — [fāl] vi. [ME failen < OFr faillir, to fail, miss < L fallere, to deceive, disappoint < IE base * ĝhwel , to bend, deviate > Sans hválati, (he) loses the way, errs, Gr phēloein, to deceive] 1. to be lacking or insufficient; fall short …   English World dictionary

  • FAIL (N. du) — FAIL NOËL DU, seigneur de La Hérissaye (1520 1591) Magistrat breton, conseiller au parlement de Bretagne après des études qui lui ont fait faire un traditionnel tour de France des universités: Poitiers, Angers, Bourges et Avignon. Après avoir… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Fail — Fail, v. t. 1. To be wanting to; to be insufficient for; to disappoint; to desert. [1913 Webster] There shall not fail thee a man on the throne. 1 Kings ii. 4. [1913 Webster] 2. To miss of attaining; to lose. [R.] [1913 Webster] Though that seat… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fail — early 13c., from O.Fr. falir (11c., Mod.Fr. faillir) be lacking, miss, not succeed, from V.L. *fallire, from L. fallere to trip, cause to fall; figuratively to deceive, trick, dupe, cheat, elude; fail, be lacking or defective. Related: Failed;… …   Etymology dictionary

  • fail — [v1] be unsuccessful abort, backslide, back wrong horse*, be defeated, be demoted, be found lacking*, be in vain*, be ruined, blunder, break down, come to naught, come to nothing, decline, deteriorate, fall, fall flat*, fall short*, fall through* …   New thesaurus

  • fail — ► VERB 1) be unsuccessful in an undertaking. 2) be unable to meet the standards set by (a test). 3) judge (a candidate in an examination or test) not to have passed. 4) neglect to do. 5) disappoint expectations: chaos has failed to materialize.… …   English terms dictionary

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