What is another word for fail?

Synonyms for fail
feɪlfail

This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word fail.

Wiktionary5.0 / 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 Antonyms5.0 / 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 Antonyms0.0 / 0 votes

  1. fail

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

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

Princeton's WordNet1.0 / 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

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words0.0 / 0 votes

  1. failverb

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

PPDB, the paraphrase database0.0 / 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.

How to pronounce fail?

How to say fail in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

rankingword
#17not
#77get
#123go
#125work
#126last
#207part
#220travel
#272check
#343shop
#461live
#474start
#495better
#555give
#564sell
#652become
#672run
#803sound
#853function
#1038stop
#1142move
#1176lead
#1232fall
#1482develop
#1493pass
#1618break
#1706trip
#1763die
#1931fit
#2032miss
#2158drop
#2228separate
#2278failure
#2593failed
#2636fail
#2664wear
#2995discover
#3169lose
#3227exit
#3684split
#3943operate
#4224crack
#4532extend
#4557yield
#4719ignore
#4793shit
#5118grass
#5403fails
#5628proceed
#5672founder
#5910rat
#6158bomb
#6230cheat
#6322blend
#6558belong
#6840analyze
#6874distribute
#7052collapse
#7117survive
#7124reveal
#7321snap
#8539drain
#9001breach
#9419disclose
#9798bolt
#9876burst
#9954unwrap
#10008rifle
#10105depart
#10588bump
#10611pause
#10713bust
#11158neglect
#11623interrupt
#11777spill
#12366expose
#12398crush
#12746violate
#12849plump
#12853expire
#13073analyse
#13346smash
#14164ruin
#14530abandon
#14595fracture
#15599stag
#17542wander
#17899endure
#17934tumble
#18220damp
#18414disregard
#19766omit
#20010overlook
#21204choke
#21436spoil
#21860cuckold
#21898bankrupt
#22808discontinue
#22983emit
#23039offend
#25411weaken
#27826perish
#29516forfeit
#30329deceive
#30385soften
#31211disappoint
#35818pall
#37100betray
#40292denounce
#40580crumble
#42688divulge
#46656decompose
#51445dampen
#53129erupt
#57917dissect
#61869snitch
#66231bombard
#73790croak
#92888decease
#98708transgress
#108826demote
#109510relegate
#113153flunk
#116185crumple
#166458conk
#179405miscarry
#189189bewray
#318728intermit

How to use fail in a sentence?

  1. Lot Chakonza:

    thats why I insist that love itself is a mystery,which when allowed to haunt a man's mind,the power of reasoning itself may fail.

  2. Robert Kauffman:

    Many men and women – despite good patient education efforts – simply elect not to take medication, fail to change habits like being sedentary with no exercise program, refuse to change dietary and caloric intake, etc., some of this is disease denial. If they feel healthy, they rationalize taking medication is not needed.

  3. Robert Hewison:

    Many businessmen fail to understand Python principles--the ultimate absurdity was an offer from America to buy the 'format' of the Python shows, that is, Monty Python without the Pythons--corporate methods do not have the conceptual framework to deal with an anarchist collective, run by intelligent and arrogant comedians who have proved that their method works.

  4. Michael Cohen:

    There's a lot of desire to handle this IPO in an intelligent way and present a viable business model to the Street and to the analysts because nobody wants WeWork to fail.

  5. Marcus Aurelius:

    All our efforts must be directed towards an end, or we will act in vain. If it is not the right end, we will fail utterly.


Translations for fail

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • أخفقArabic
  • не работя, не сполучвам, провалям се, отказвам, не успявамBulgarian
  • fracassarCatalan, Valencian
  • propadnout, selhávat, přestat, nechat, fungovat, selhatCzech
  • dumpe, mislykkes, fejle, undlade, forsømme, svigte, slå fejlDanish
  • keinen Erfolg haben, nicht gelingen, missglücken, versagen, scheitern, ohne Erfolg bleibenGerman
  • negar, zozobrar, pararse, fallar, fracasarSpanish
  • seiskuma, edutu, nurjumaEstonian
  • موفق نشدن, تصورکردن, شکست خوردن, خراب شدنPersian
  • vikautua, pysäyttää, rikkoa, vioittaa, vikaantua, pysähtyä, epäonnistua, ei, mennä rikkiFinnish
  • échouer, faillir, recaler, négliger, tomber en panneFrench
  • meathIrish
  • fàilligScottish Gaelic
  • gagalIndonesian
  • ignorare, fallire, omettere, mancare l'obiettivo, mancare, negligere, tralasciare, bocciareItalian
  • 矢敗するJapanese
  • иш ордунан чыкпай калуу, жол болбооKyrgyz
  • desumLatin
  • taka, pahekeMāori
  • buizen, falen, mankeren, mislukken, negerenDutch
  • feile, svikte, mislykkesNorwegian
  • reprovar, deixar de, pifar, falhar, fracassarPortuguese
  • a rata, a strica, a se stricaRomanian
  • выходить из строя, провалиться, не справиться, терпеть неудачу, провалитьRussian
  • fallera, mankera, misslyckasSwedish

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Translation

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