Term Gallery logo

Meanings of fail in English

Catalan
esgotar-se
Spanish
agotarse

Stop operating or functioning.

      esgotar-se
      Portuguese
      reprovar
      Catalan
      suspendre
      Spanish
      suspender

      Fail to get a passing grade.

          reprovar
          Portuguese
          fracassar
          Catalan
          equivocar-se
          Spanish
          fracasar

          Be unsuccessful.

              fracassar
              Catalan
              descuidar
              Spanish
              descuidar

              Fail to do something; leave something undone.

                    descuidar
                    Usage of fail in English
                    1
                    However, you fail to mention those with prime responsibility - the electorate.
                    The Irish Times
                    2
                    Statistics tell us that businesses fail all the time in Northern Ireland.
                    The Irish Times
                    3
                    That will come after the second test, which banks can actually fail.
                    Reuters
                    4
                    Second, police often fail to believe rape victims and conduct full investigations.
                    The Guardian
                    5
                    When words fail, Eurovision song-writers are quite prepared to seek other alternatives.
                    The Irish Times
                    6
                    However, anti-agreement unionists believe he will fail to secure a unionist majority.
                    The Irish Times
                    7
                    If the discussions fail, the US can ask WTO judges to rule.
                    The Irish Times
                    8
                    Seeing his new situation, Frank did not fail to improve upon it.
                    New york: the novel
                    9
                    Predators usually fail and they are the hardest animals working in nature.
                    BBC
                    10
                    However, deals frequently fail even after all these points have been agreed.
                    The Irish Times
                    11
                    So we agree that my father's approach will likely fail in time.
                    Book Two: Descent
                    12
                    Well, not entirely; sometimes scorelines fail to tell quite the whole story.
                    The Guardian
                    13
                    All too frequently, however, the agreements fail to provide meaningful legal protection.
                    Wired
                    14
                    It is becoming increasingly clear that the Brexit negotiations could indeed fail.
                    The Irish Times
                    15
                    What markets work, and what should a government do if they fail?
                    The Guardian
                    16
                    I get lovely emails: people can't fail to love plants and animals.
                    The Guardian
                    About this term
                    More collocations
                    Translations for fail
                    Fail through the time
                    Fail across language varieties
                    Ireland
                    Common
                    United Kingdom
                    Common
                    South Africa
                    Common
                    More variants