Fail

Fail
Fail Fail (f[=a]l) v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Failed} (f[=a]ld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Failing}.] [F. failir, fr. L. fallere, falsum, to deceive, akin to E. fall. See {Fail}, and cf. {Fallacy}, {False}, {Fault}.] 1. To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence; to cease to be furnished in the usual or expected manner, or to be altogether cut off from supply; to be lacking; as, streams fail; crops fail. [1913 Webster]

As the waters fail from the sea. --Job xiv. 11. [1913 Webster]

Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. To be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; -- used with of. [1913 Webster]

If ever they fail of beauty, this failure is not be attributed to their size. --Berke. [1913 Webster]

3. To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink. [1913 Webster]

When earnestly they seek Such proof, conclude they then begin to fail. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

4. To deteriorate in respect to vigor, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker; as, a sick man fails. [1913 Webster]

5. To perish; to die; -- used of a person. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

Had the king in his last sickness failed. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

6. To be found wanting with respect to an action or a duty to be performed, a result to be secured, etc.; to miss; not to fulfill expectation. [1913 Webster]

Take heed now that ye fail not to do this. --Ezra iv. 22. [1913 Webster]

Either my eyesight fails, or thou look'st pale. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

7. To come short of a result or object aimed at or desired; to be baffled or frusrated. [1913 Webster]

Our envious foe hath failed. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

8. To err in judgment; to be mistaken. [1913 Webster]

Which ofttimes may succeed, so as perhaps Shall grieve him, if I fail not. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

9. To become unable to meet one's engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent; as, many credit unions failed in the late 1980's. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • fail — vi 1: to be or become inadequate or unsuccessful esp. in fulfilling certain formal requirements even though one or more terms are left open a contract for sale does not fail for indefiniteness Uniform Commercial Code 2: to become bankrupt or… …   Law dictionary

  • Fail — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Fail Freguesia de Portugal …   Wikipedia Español

  • fail — fail·ing·ly; fail; fail·ure; jeo·fail; un·fail·ing; un·fail·ing·ly; un·fail·ing·ness; …   English syllables

  • Fail — Fail, n. [OF. faille, from failir. See {Fail}, v. i.] 1. Miscarriage; failure; deficiency; fault; mostly superseded by {failure} or {failing}, except in the phrase without fail. His highness fail of issue. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Death; decease.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fail — [fāl] vi. [ME failen < OFr faillir, to fail, miss < L fallere, to deceive, disappoint < IE base * ĝhwel , to bend, deviate > Sans hválati, (he) loses the way, errs, Gr phēloein, to deceive] 1. to be lacking or insufficient; fall short …   English World dictionary

  • FAIL (N. du) — FAIL NOËL DU, seigneur de La Hérissaye (1520 1591) Magistrat breton, conseiller au parlement de Bretagne après des études qui lui ont fait faire un traditionnel tour de France des universités: Poitiers, Angers, Bourges et Avignon. Après avoir… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Fail — Fail, v. t. 1. To be wanting to; to be insufficient for; to disappoint; to desert. [1913 Webster] There shall not fail thee a man on the throne. 1 Kings ii. 4. [1913 Webster] 2. To miss of attaining; to lose. [R.] [1913 Webster] Though that seat… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fail — early 13c., from O.Fr. falir (11c., Mod.Fr. faillir) be lacking, miss, not succeed, from V.L. *fallire, from L. fallere to trip, cause to fall; figuratively to deceive, trick, dupe, cheat, elude; fail, be lacking or defective. Related: Failed;… …   Etymology dictionary

  • fail — [v1] be unsuccessful abort, backslide, back wrong horse*, be defeated, be demoted, be found lacking*, be in vain*, be ruined, blunder, break down, come to naught, come to nothing, decline, deteriorate, fall, fall flat*, fall short*, fall through* …   New thesaurus

  • fail — ► VERB 1) be unsuccessful in an undertaking. 2) be unable to meet the standards set by (a test). 3) judge (a candidate in an examination or test) not to have passed. 4) neglect to do. 5) disappoint expectations: chaos has failed to materialize.… …   English terms dictionary

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