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.
Wiktionary
failverb
a failure, especially of a financial transaction
Throughout my life, I have always failed.
Synonyms:
fall on ones faceAntonyms:
succeed
English Synonyms and Antonyms
Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms
Princeton's WordNet
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 badAntonyms:
come through, pass, bring home the bacon, win, negociate, carry off, deliver the goods, make it, succeed, manage, pull off, bring offfail, 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 badAntonyms:
make it, carry off, win, pass, succeed, pull off, bring home the bacon, negociate, manage, come through, bring off, deliver the goodsfail, 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, ratAntonyms:
deliver the goods, negociate, win, carry off, pass, bring home the bacon, come through, manage, make it, bring off, succeed, pull offfail, 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, recrudesceAntonyms:
carry off, come through, succeed, deliver the goods, pass, bring off, bring home the bacon, negociate, make it, manage, pull off, winfailverb
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 outAntonyms:
manage, make it, negociate, succeed, carry off, bring off, win, come through, pass, deliver the goods, pull off, bring home the baconfailverb
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 outAntonyms:
pass, manage, succeed, bring off, deliver the goods, win, bring home the bacon, carry off, negociate, pull off, come through, make itfail, 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 badAntonyms:
negociate, deliver the goods, bring off, pass, manage, succeed, win, pull off, make it, bring home the bacon, carry off, come throughfailverb
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 outAntonyms:
pull off, pass, bring off, win, come through, bring home the bacon, deliver the goods, negociate, succeed, carry off, make it, managefailverb
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 outAntonyms:
pass, bring off, come through, win, make it, pull off, succeed, manage, carry off, deliver the goods, negociate, bring home the baconfail, 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 badAntonyms:
bring home the bacon, manage, pass, carry off, negociate, succeed, win, deliver the goods, pull off, make it, bring off, come throughfailverb
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 outAntonyms:
deliver the goods, succeed, bring home the bacon, win, manage, negociate, pull off, pass, bring off, come through, make it, carry off
Dictionary of English Synonymes
failverb
Synonyms:
fall short, come short, be insufficient, be deficient, be wantingfailverb
failverb
Synonyms:
cease, disappear, become extinct, be wantingfailverb
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 groundfailverb
failverb
Synonyms:
break, become insolvent, become bankrupt, suspend paymentfailverb
Synonyms:
disappoint, be wanting to, not be sufficient for, not answer the expectation offailnoun
Synonyms:
[Used only in the expression without fail.] omission, neglect, failure, delinquency
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
failverb
Synonyms:
default, lack, deteriorate, decline, retrograde, disappoint, desert, miscarry, foil, become bankrupt
Suggested Resources
FAIL
What does FAIL stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the FAIL acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.
Words popularity by usage frequency
How to use fail in a sentence?
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.
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.
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.'.
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.
If you fail too big, you don’t get to fail anymore. If you never fail, then you haven’t done anything.
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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