failure

Idioms (47)

• get carried away Informal · CEFR B2
  to become so excited or involved that you lose control
• beat/get the hell out of something Informal · CEFR C1
  to leave a place very quickly (get); or to defeat or hit something severely (beat)
• throw up one's hands Neutral · CEFR B2
  to show that you give up or feel helpless about something
• barking up the wrong tree Informal · CEFR B2
  To pursue a mistaken or misguided line of thought or action.
• miss the boat Informal · CEFR B1
  To lose a chance to do something by being too slow or late.
• back to the drawing board Neutral · CEFR B2
  to start planning or designing again after an idea or attempt has failed
• throw in the towel Informal · CEFR B2
  To give up or admit defeat.
• go down in flames Informal · CEFR C1
  To fail suddenly and completely.
• flash in the pan Informal · CEFR B2
  something that shows brilliant early promise but fails quickly and leaves nothing behind
• back to square one Neutral · CEFR B2
  to return to the beginning of a task after an attempt has failed
• bite the dust Informal · CEFR B2
  to fail or come to an end; to die
• down the drain Informal · CEFR B2
  wasted or lost irretrievably
• go belly up Informal · CEFR C1
  to fail completely, especially of a business
• go pear-shaped Informal · CEFR C1
  to go wrong, to fail in an awkward way
• grasp at straws Neutral · CEFR B2
  to try desperate, unlikely measures when things are going badly
• egg on your face Informal · CEFR B2
  to be embarrassed after being publicly wrong
• fall short Neutral · CEFR B2
  to fail to reach an expected standard, amount, or goal
• rock bottom Neutral · CEFR B2
  the lowest possible point in a difficult situation
• fall from grace Neutral · CEFR C1
  to lose respect, status, or favor because of a failure or wrongdoing
• put paid to Neutral · CEFR C1
  to bring something, especially a plan or hope, to a definite end
• serve someone right Neutral · CEFR B2
  used to say that someone deserves the unpleasant result they received
• off the mark Neutral · CEFR B2
  incorrect, inaccurate, or below the expected standard
• come unstuck Neutral · CEFR C1
  to fail or encounter a problem that causes a plan or effort to break down
• go downhill Neutral · CEFR B1
  to become progressively worse in condition, quality, or performance
• laughing stock Neutral · CEFR B2
  a person or thing that others openly mock or ridicule
• below par Neutral · CEFR B2
  worse than the normal or expected standard
• pass the buck Neutral · CEFR B2
  avoid accountability by shifting responsibility or blame to another person
• fall by the wayside Neutral · CEFR B2
  be abandoned, neglected, or fail before completion
• go to the wall Neutral · CEFR C1
  collapse or fail completely, particularly as a business or financial venture
• go up in smoke Neutral · CEFR B2
  be completely ruined or fail, leaving nothing of the original plan
• sour grapes Neutral · CEFR C1
  disparaging something desirable after failing to obtain it
• body blow Neutral · CEFR B2
  a major setback that seriously weakens a person, organization, or effort
• fall on deaf ears Neutral · CEFR B2
  to be ignored without producing any response or acknowledgment
• draw a blank Neutral · CEFR B2
  to be unable to recall or produce the needed answer or information
• carry the can Neutral · CEFR C1
  To take the blame or responsibility for a problem, especially when others avoid doing so.
• go round in circles Neutral · CEFR B2
  To repeat the same discussion or actions without reaching a solution or making progress.
• into thin air Neutral · CEFR B2
  Away so completely and suddenly that no trace or explanation remains.
• dead and buried Neutral · CEFR B2
  completely abandoned, with no realistic chance that a plan or idea will return
• kiss of death Neutral · CEFR B2
  something that seems helpful but instead causes eventual failure or ruin
• pie in the sky Neutral · CEFR B2
  an attractive ambition with almost no realistic prospect of being achieved
• go to the dogs Neutral · CEFR B2
  to deteriorate severely from an earlier, better condition
• go to seed Neutral · CEFR B2
  to become neglected, untidy, or generally worse in condition
• too clever by half Neutral · CEFR B2
  clever in a self-defeating way, so one's crafty plan causes trouble instead of success
• out of the running Neutral · CEFR B2
  no longer being considered for a prize, position, or competition
• put the boot in Informal · CEFR C1
  to attack harshly, especially when the target is already vulnerable or beaten
• pick holes Neutral · CEFR B2
  to scrutinize something in order to expose its flaws
• famous last words Neutral · CEFR B2
  a confident prediction or claim that events soon prove completely wrong