Fail Definition & Meaning
fail
- 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"
- be unsuccessful; "Where do today's public schools fail?"; "The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably"
- 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"
- 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"
- be unable; "I fail to understand your motives"
- judge unacceptable; "The teacher failed six students"
- fail to get a passing grade; "She studied hard but failed nevertheless"; "Did I fail the test?"
- 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"
- 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"
- prove insufficient; "The water supply for the town failed after a long drought"
- get worse; "Her health is declining"
"Fail" in song lyrics
See how fail is used in real songs:
-
"I cold got a alias that will never ever fail"
415 — Court in the Street -
"You're no factor, you work for free and fail"
7L & Esoteric — Knockout (Victory Lap) -
"Better off killin' me then sendin' me back 'fore I fail"
9th Prince f/ Islord, Ruthless Bastards, T.M.F. — Generation Next
Words that rhyme with fail
Usage tips for "fail"
Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "fail" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for fail to find words that pair well.