Synonyms for fail
feɪl

Princeton's WordNet(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. fail, neglect(verb)

   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, miscarry(verb)

   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, betray(verb)

   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 down(verb)

   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. fail(verb)

   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. fail(verb)

   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 it(verb)

   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. fail(verb)

   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. fail(verb)

   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 out(verb)

    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. fail(verb)

    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

Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. fail(verb)

   To be unsuccessful.

   Throughout my life, I have always failed.

   Synonyms:
   fall on ones face

   Antonyms:
   succeed

English Synonyms and Antonyms(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

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 Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. fail

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

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

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. fail(v. n.)

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

2. fail(v. n.)

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

3. fail(v. n.)

   Synonyms:
   cease, disappear, become extinct, be wanting

4. fail(v. n.)

   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. fail(v. n.)

   Synonyms:
   omit, neglect

6. fail(v. n.)

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

7. fail(v. a.)

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

8. fail(n.)

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

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. fail(v)

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

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these paraphrases:

1. List of paraphrases for "fail":

   failure, fails, failed, disappoint, not, miss

How to pronounce fail?

Alex

US English

Daniel

British

Karen

Australian

Veena

Indian

How to say fail in sign language?

How to use fail in a sentence?

1. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov:

   If you cry 'Forward' you must without fail make plain in what direction to go. Don't you see that if, without doing so, you call out the word to both a monk and a revolutionary, they will go in directions precisely opposite

2. Mike Pompeo:

   If that deterrence should continue to fail, I am also confident that President Trump would continue to take the actions that are necessary.

3. Ian Dunt:

   There would be a motion for Jeremy Corbyn to be the caretaker Prime Minister, and that would fail, and once that fails, then Jeremy Corbyn would have to think' well, okay, so who's it going to be.'.

4. Timothy Kesicki:

   When we remember that with those 272 souls we received the same sacraments; read the same Scriptures; said the same prayers; sang the same hymns; and praised the same God, how did we, the Society of Jesus, fail to see us all as one body in Christ? We betrayed the very name of Jesus for whom our society is named.

5. Gore Vidal:

   It is not enough to succeed; others must fail.

Images & Illustrations of fail