fail

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   prove insufficient

   The water supply for the town failed after a long drought

2. 2
   verb

   become bankrupt or insolvent

   fail financially and close

3. 3
   verb

   fall short in what is expected

   They failed to meet their obligations.

4. 4
   verb

   fail to get a passing grade

   They studied hard but failed nevertheless.

5. 5
   verb

   judge unacceptable

   The teacher failed six students

6. 6
   verb

   be unsuccessful

   Where do today's public schools fail?

7. 7
   verb

   be unable

   I fail to understand your motives

8. 8
   verb

   To be unsuccessful.

   Throughout my life, I have always failed.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”). Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”).