fail (/feɪl/)
verb · Beginner · Common Verbs
🔊 /feɪl/
Meaning
Meaning: not succeed
To be unsuccessful in trying to do something, or to stop working.
Examples
🗣 If you do not water the plants, they will fail to grow during the dry summer.
Etymology
From Old French ‘faillir’, from Latin ‘fallere’ (to deceive, disappoint).
How & Where It’s Used
Opposite of ‘succeed’; used for exams, machines, and attempts.
Tags: outcome, problem