English verb: fail | |||
1. | fail (social) fail to do something; leave something undone | ||
Samples | She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib. The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account. | ||
Synonyms | neglect | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | choke, default, default on, lose track, miss, muff, strike out | ||
2. | fail (social) be unsuccessful | ||
Samples | Where do today's public schools fail?. The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably. | ||
Synonyms | go wrong, miscarry | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody ----s. Something is ----ing PP. Somebody ----s PP | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | ball up, blow, bobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, fall, fall flat, fall through, flop, flub, fluff, foul up, founder, fuck up, fumble, louse up, mess up, mishandle, miss, muck up, muff, overreach, screw up, shipwreck, spoil, strike out, take it on the chin | ||
Antonyms | bring home the bacon, deliver the goods, succeed, come through, win | ||
3. | fail (emotion) disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake | ||
Samples | His sense of smell failed him this time. His strength finally failed him. His children failed him in the crisis. | ||
Synonyms | betray | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | disappoint, let down | ||
4. | fail (change) stop operating or functioning | ||
Samples | The engine finally went. The car died on the road. The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town. The coffee maker broke. The engine failed on the way to town. Her eyesight went after the accident. | ||
Examples | These cars won't fail | ||
Synonyms | break, break down, conk out, die, give out, give way, go, go bad | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | change | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | blow, blow out, burn out, crash, go down, malfunction, misfire, misfunction | ||
Verb group | break, 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 | ||
5. | fail (social) be unable | ||
Samples | I fail to understand your motives. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE | ||
Antonyms | bring off, carry off, manage, negociate, pull off | ||
6. | fail (social) judge unacceptable | ||
Samples | The teacher failed six students. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | evaluate, judge, pass judgment | ||
Verb group | bomb, fail, flunk, flush it | ||
Antonyms | pass | ||
7. | fail (social) fail to get a passing grade | ||
Samples | She studied hard but failed nevertheless. Did I fail the test?. | ||
Synonyms | bomb, flunk, flush it | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s something | ||
Verb group | fail, fail | ||
Antonyms | make it, pass | ||
8. | fail (social) fall short in what is expected | ||
Samples | She failed in her obligations as a good daughter-in-law. We must not fail his obligation to the victims of the Holocaust. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s PP | ||
Verb group | bomb, fail, flunk, flush it | ||
9. | fail (possession) become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close | ||
Samples | The toy company went bankrupt after the competition hired cheap Mexican labor. A number of banks failed that year. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody ----s | ||
10. | fail (change) prove insufficient | ||
Samples | The water supply for the town failed after a long drought. | ||
Synonyms | give out, run out | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
11. | fail (change) get worse | ||
Samples | Her health is declining. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | decline, worsen | ||