fail
To be unsuccessful.
Example
“Throughout my life, I have always failed.”
Other meanings
Not to achieve a particular stated goal. (Usage note: The direct object of this word is usually an infinitive.)
“The truck failed to start.”
Of a machine, etc.: to cease to operate correctly.
“After running five minutes, the engine failed.”
Synonyms
- go wrong
Example sentences
Word history
From Latin "fallō".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “fail” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.