Word: fail Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Etymology tree Classical Latin fallere Vulgar Latin *fallīre Old French falirbor. Middle English failen English fail Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”). Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”). Pronunciation: /feɪl/, /fel/, /fɛl/, /fɛjl/ 1. To be unsuccessful. Labels: intransitive Example: Throughout my life, I have always failed. Example: If they ſhoulde gyue battayle it was to be doubted, leaſt through treaſon amõgſt themſelues, the armie ſhould be betrayed into the enimies hands, the which would not fayle to execute all kinde of crueltie in the ſlaughter of the whole nation. 2. Not to achieve a particular stated goal. (Usage note: The direct object of this word is usually an infinitive.) Labels: transitive Example: The truck failed to start. 3. To neglect. Labels: transitive Example: The report fails to take into account all the mitigating factors. Example: Those who have advocated the closure of the G.C. have so far failed to say by which alternative route this North-to-West traffic could be carried. 4. Of a machine, etc.: to cease to operate correctly. Labels: intransitive Example: After running five minutes, the engine failed. Example: We also found that the only emergency egress from the tram was by smashing the front or rear windscreens, and that emergency lighting had failed when the tram overturned. 5. To be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert; to disappoint one's expectations. Labels: transitive Example: I've failed my parents many times growing up. Example: There shall not fail thee a man on the throne. 6. To receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits. Labels: ambitransitive Example: I failed English last year. 7. To give a student a non-passing grade in an academic endeavour. Labels: transitive Example: The professor failed me because I did not complete any of the course assignments. 8. To miss attaining; to lose. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: though that seat of earthly bliss be failed 9. To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence. Example: The crops failed last year. Example: as the waters fail from the sea 10. To be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; used with of. Labels: archaic Example: If ever they fail of beauty, this failure is not to be attributed to their size. 11. To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink. Labels: archaic Example: When earnestly they seek / Such proof, conclude they then begin to fail. 12. To deteriorate in respect to vigour, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker. Labels: archaic Example: A sick man fails. 13. To perish; to die; used of a person. Labels: obsolete Example: had the king in his last sickness failed 14. To err in judgment; to be mistaken. Labels: obsolete Example: Which ofttimes may succeed, so as perhaps / Shall grieve him, if I fail not. 15. 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. Labels: intransitive Example: "But you cannot tell where she went on leaving here?" Robert asked, despondingly. "No, sir; missus says she believes the lady failed, and that she left sudden like, and didn't want her address to be known in the neighbourhood."