fail

fail¹ W1S2 [feıl] v

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1¦(not succeed)¦

2¦(not do something)¦

3¦(exam/test)¦

4 I fail to see/understand

5¦(company/business)¦

6¦(machine/body part)¦

7¦(health)¦

8 never fail to do something

9 your courage/will/nerve fails (you)

10 fail somebody

11¦(crops)¦

12¦(rains)¦

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[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: faillir, from Latin fallere 'to deceive, disappoint']

1.) ¦(NOT SUCCEED)¦

to not succeed in achieving something

▪ It looks likely that the peace talks will fail.

fail in

▪ He failed in his attempt to regain the world title.

fail to do sth

▪ Doctors failed to save the girl's life.

▪ Millions of people have tried to quit smoking and failed miserably (=been completely unsuccessful) .

▪ his efforts to save his failing marriage

▪ If all else fails , you may be advised to have an operation.

2.) ¦(NOT DO SOMETHING)¦ [I]

to not do what is expected, needed, or wanted

fail to do sth

▪ The letter failed to arrive.

▪ Firms that fail to take advantage of the new technology will go out of business.

▪ The government are failing in their duty to protect people.

3.) ¦(EXAM/TEST)¦

a) [I and T]

to not pass a test or examination

▪ I failed my driving test the first time I took it.

▪ Daniel failed maths but passed all his other subjects.

b) [T]

to decide that someone has not passed a test or examination

▪ Her work was so bad that I had no choice but to fail her.

4.) I fail to see/understand

[i]formal used to show that you are annoyed by something that you do not accept or understand

▪ I fail to see why you find it so amusing.

5.) ¦(COMPANY/BUSINESS)¦

if a company or business fails, it is unable to continue because of a lack of money

6.) ¦(MACHINE/BODY PART)¦ [I]

if a part of a machine or an organ in your body fails, it stops working

▪ The engine failed on take-off.

▪ The hospital said that his kidneys were failing.

7.) ¦(HEALTH)¦ [I]

if your sight, memory, health etc is failing, it is gradually getting weaker or is not as good as it was

▪ Failing eyesight forced him to retire early.

8.) never fail to do sth

to do something or happen so regularly that people expect it

▪ My grandson never fails to phone me on my birthday.

9.) your courage/will/nerve fails (you)

if your courage etc fails, or if it fails you, you suddenly do not have it when you need it

▪ She had to leave immediately, before her courage failed her.

10.) fail sb

to not do what someone has trusted you to do

= ↑let somebody down

▪ I feel I've failed my children by not spending more time with them.

11.) ¦(CROPS)¦ [I]

if crops fail, they do not grow or produce food, for example because of bad weather

12.) ¦(RAINS)¦ [I]

if the ↑rains (=a lot of rain that falls at a particular time each year) fail, they do not come when expected or it does not rain enough

→words fail me [i]at ↑word¹ (28)

fail ²

fail² n

1.) without fail

a) if you do something without fail, you always do it

▪ Tim visits his mother every day without fail.

b) used to tell someone very firmly that they must do something

▪ I want that work finished by tomorrow, without fail!

2.)

an unsuccessful result in a test or examination

≠ ↑pass

▪ I got a fail in history.