You searched for: “failed
fail (verb), fails; failed; failing
1. To be unsuccessful in trying to do something: Marvin found out that he had failed to pass his math exam.
2. To be incapable of doing something or unwilling to do it: At least one student in class failed to understand the last question on the examination.
3. To fall short of the standard required to pass an examination, course, or piece of academic work: Shirley failed her Spanish exam because she didn't study the necessary assignments.
4. To judge that someone is not good enough to pass an examination, course, or piece of academic work: Mr. Smith had to tell three students that they had failed the science examination.
5. To stop working or not performing or growing as expected: The brakes on the car failed when Mary tried to stop her car before going through a red light.
6. To collapse financially or becoming insolvent or bankrupt: Janet's small business failed because new trade agreements did not allow her to import popular products.
7. To abandon, to forsake, or to let someone down by not doing what is expected or needed: June's neighbor failed her sister by being too late for their appointment.
8. To lose strength, loudness, or brightness: The light started to fail just when Alisa needed it.
9. Etymology: from Old French falir, Modern French faillir, "be lacking, miss, not succeed"; from Common or Vulgar Latin fallire; from Latin fallere, "to trip, to cause to fall"; figuratively, "to deceive, to trick, to dupe, to cheat, to elude"; fail, "be lacking" or "being defective".
This entry is located in the following unit: fals-, fall- (page 1)