fail — to be unsuccessful in achieving something
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to be unsuccessful in achieving something
Pronunciation (IPA): /feɪl/
Example Sentences
- My phone battery always fails me during important calls.
- If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
- I failed so badly at cooking that even my dog refused to eat it.
fail
VERB[/feɪl/]
to be unsuccessful in achieving something
The rescue team tried to reach the hikers, but they failed when the storm blocked the mountain road.
The engineer tried to detect the problem, but he failed before the machine suddenly stopped working. (FAIL = not succeed / be unsuccessful)
The team failed to solve the puzzle at first, but eventually prevailed and unveiled the hidden answer.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin 'fallere', meaning 'to deceive' or 'to disappoint'. Over time, the meaning evolved to encompass 'to fail' or 'to fall short', reflecting the notion of disappointing expectations as one fails to achieve a desired outcome.
Breakdown
Latin 'fallere' (to deceive, to disappoint) → Middle English 'failen' → Modern English 'fail'. The semantic shift from 'deceive' to 'fail' reflects the idea of deceiving expectations through inability to succeed.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My phone battery always fails me during important calls.”
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
“I failed so badly at cooking that even my dog refused to eat it.”
“Don't fail to submit your assignment by Friday.”
“My attempt to look cool in front of my crush was an epic fail.”
📚Related Words
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