Synonyms for fail
feɪlfail

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. failverb

   a failure, especially of a financial transaction

   Throughout my life, I have always failed.

   Synonyms:
   fall on ones face

   Antonyms:
   succeed

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. fail

   Synonyms:
   abandon, forfeit, give up, let go, lose, miss

   Antonyms:
   accomplish, achieve, acquire, arrive at, attain, compass, earn, gain, get, grasp, master, obtain, procure, reach, secure, win

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. fail

   Synonyms:
   fall, miss, miscarry, fall short, trip, lose

   Antonyms:
   succeed, exceed, surpass, excel, achieve, abound, yield

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. fail, neglectverb

   fail to do something; leave something undone

   "She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib"; "The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account"

   Synonyms:
   go, conk out, give way, overlook, flunk, bomb, betray, leave out, break down, die, omit, neglect, run out, break, overleap, flush it, drop, miscarry, miss, give out, ignore, go wrong, pretermit, disregard, go bad

   Antonyms:
   come through, pass, bring home the bacon, win, negociate, carry off, deliver the goods, make it, succeed, manage, pull off, bring off

2. fail, go wrong, miscarryverb

   be unsuccessful

   "Where do today's public schools fail?"; "The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably"

   Synonyms:
   go, conk out, give way, flunk, bomb, betray, break down, die, neglect, run out, break, flush it, miscarry, give out, go wrong, go bad

   Antonyms:
   make it, carry off, win, pass, succeed, pull off, bring home the bacon, negociate, manage, come through, bring off, deliver the goods

3. fail, betrayverb

   disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake

   "His sense of smell failed him this time"; "His strength finally failed him"; "His children failed him in the crisis"

   Synonyms:
   bomb, betray, stag, conk out, deceive, flunk, miscarry, sell, go bad, bewray, snitch, give way, flush it, lead astray, cheat, shit, give away, grass, neglect, break, wander, give out, shop, go, go wrong, die, run out, break down, denounce, cuckold, tell on, cheat on, rat

   Antonyms:
   deliver the goods, negociate, win, carry off, pass, bring home the bacon, come through, manage, make it, bring off, succeed, pull off

4. fail, go bad, give way, die, give out, conk out, go, break, break downverb

   stop operating or functioning

   "The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident"

   Synonyms:
   peter out, function, crumble, give off, perish, break away, give way, unwrap, hold out, run, endure, lead, give out, hand out, split up, conk out, operate, dampen, travel, collapse, last, go wrong, bomb, transgress, discontinue, founder, weaken, go away, crumple, bump, discover, demote, stop, go, take apart, move, damp, ease up, rifle, separate, decompose, miscarry, split, run low, die out, cash in one's chips, dissect, smash, pause, move over, spoil, pass out, pass away, get out, drop dead, fracture, relegate, bring out, violate, reveal, divulge, part, betray, let on, blend in, run short, get around, get going, locomote, intermit, wear out, expire, lose it, check, break dance, break-dance, live, give-up the ghost, kick the bucket, breach, blend, burst, give, plump, crack, ruin, run down, fit, erupt, emit, better, flush it, belong, tumble, offend, go bad, become flat, survive, crush, get, disclose, break off, snuff it, bust, flunk, become, give away, break up, analyse, live on, interrupt, break out, croak, run out, choke, poop out, pop off, pall, sound, fall in, soften, go against, let out, come apart, neglect, extend, start, depart, kick downstairs, distribute, decease, die, pass, proceed, break down, infract, exit, conk, buy the farm, bankrupt, hold up, develop, expose, break, analyze, fall apart, break in, snap off, snap, yield, work, cave in, wear, recrudesce

   Antonyms:
   carry off, come through, succeed, deliver the goods, pass, bring off, bring home the bacon, negociate, make it, manage, pull off, win

5. failverb

   be unable

   "I fail to understand your motives"

   Synonyms:
   betray, die, flunk, neglect, go bad, bomb, go wrong, flush it, conk out, give way, miscarry, break, give out, go, break down, run out

   Antonyms:
   manage, make it, negociate, succeed, carry off, bring off, win, come through, pass, deliver the goods, pull off, bring home the bacon

6. failverb

   judge unacceptable

   "The teacher failed six students"

   Synonyms:
   betray, die, flunk, neglect, go bad, bomb, go wrong, flush it, conk out, give way, miscarry, break, give out, go, break down, run out

   Antonyms:
   pass, manage, succeed, bring off, deliver the goods, win, bring home the bacon, carry off, negociate, pull off, come through, make it

7. fail, flunk, bomb, flush itverb

   fail to get a passing grade

   "She studied hard but failed nevertheless"; "Did I fail the test?"

   Synonyms:
   go, conk out, give way, flunk, bomb, betray, break down, die, neglect, run out, break, flush it, miscarry, give out, go wrong, bombard, go bad

   Antonyms:
   negociate, deliver the goods, bring off, pass, manage, succeed, win, pull off, make it, bring home the bacon, carry off, come through

8. failverb

   fall short in what is expected

   "She failed in her obligations as a good daughter-in-law"; "We must not fail his obligation to the victims of the Holocaust"

   Synonyms:
   betray, die, flunk, neglect, go bad, bomb, go wrong, flush it, conk out, give way, miscarry, break, give out, go, break down, run out

   Antonyms:
   pull off, pass, bring off, win, come through, bring home the bacon, deliver the goods, negociate, succeed, carry off, make it, manage

9. failverb

   become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close

   "The toy company went bankrupt after the competition hired cheap Mexican labor"; "A number of banks failed that year"

   Synonyms:
   betray, die, flunk, neglect, go bad, bomb, go wrong, flush it, conk out, give way, miscarry, break, give out, go, break down, run out

   Antonyms:
   pass, bring off, come through, win, make it, pull off, succeed, manage, carry off, deliver the goods, negociate, bring home the bacon

10. fail, run out, give outverb

    prove insufficient

    "The water supply for the town failed after a long drought"

    Synonyms:
    go, beetle off, conk out, give way, flunk, bomb, betray, peter out, break down, poop out, die, bolt, run down, neglect, run out, drain, break, bolt out, flush it, run off, pass out, miscarry, give off, give out, emit, expire, spill, go wrong, distribute, hand out, go bad

    Antonyms:
    bring home the bacon, manage, pass, carry off, negociate, succeed, win, deliver the goods, pull off, make it, bring off, come through

11. failverb

    get worse

    "Her health is declining"

    Synonyms:
    betray, die, flunk, neglect, go bad, bomb, go wrong, flush it, conk out, give way, miscarry, break, give out, go, break down, run out

    Antonyms:
    deliver the goods, succeed, bring home the bacon, win, manage, negociate, pull off, pass, bring off, come through, make it, carry off

Matched Categories

1. • Decline
   • Judge
   • Let Down

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. failverb

   Synonyms:
   fall short, come short, be insufficient, be deficient, be wanting

2. failverb

   Synonyms:
   decline, sink, decay, wane, fade, give out

3. failverb

   Synonyms:
   cease, disappear, become extinct, be wanting

4. failverb

   Synonyms:
   miss, miscarry, be unsuccessful, be frustrated, end in smoke, come to nothing, fall still-born, flash in the pan, miss fire, miss stays, fall to the ground

5. failverb

   Synonyms:
   omit, neglect

6. failverb

   Synonyms:
   break, become insolvent, become bankrupt, suspend payment

7. failverb

   Synonyms:
   disappoint, be wanting to, not be sufficient for, not answer the expectation of

8. failnoun

   Synonyms:
   [Used only in the expression without fail.] omission, neglect, failure, delinquency

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. failverb

   Synonyms:
   default, lack, deteriorate, decline, retrograde, disappoint, desert, miscarry, foil, become bankrupt

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "fail":

   failure, fails, failed, disappoint, not, miss

Suggested Resources

1. FAIL

   What does FAIL stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the FAIL acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

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How to use fail in a sentence?

1. Ted W. Engstrom:

   We must expect to fail...but fail in a learning posture, determined no to repeat the mistakes, and to maximize the benefits from what is learned in the process.

2. R. D. Laing:

   The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change; until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds.

3. The Australian:

   The biggest thing is, you're playing mental games with yourself, your sub-conscious is sitting there going, 'You're going to fail, you're going to fail, you're going to fail.'.

4. Dana Goward:

   When GPS/GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) fail, transportation is impacted immediately. It slows down, becomes more dangerous, and every mode can carry less capacity, as short-term backup clocks start to desynchronize with each other ... cell phone towers start to fail, IT networks slow down or fail, financial systems are impacted, management of the electrical grid becomes problematic. That is the really scary part.

5. Seth Godin:

   If you fail too big, you don’t get to fail anymore. If you never fail, then you haven’t done anything.