fail

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• fāl
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• /feɪl/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• India, North: /fel/
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• India, North: /fɛl/
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• homophone: fell
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• India, South: /fɛjl/
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• rhymes with -eɪl
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• CMU ARPABET: F EY1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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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”).

* As a Scottish and Irish surname, shortened from McPhail. * As a Manx surname, variant of Fayle. * As a south German surname, from the adjective feil (“for sale”).

Unknown. Compare Scottish Gaelic fàl (“hedge”), Scots faill (“turf”). Attested from the 16th century.

293 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Albanian: dështoj — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Albanian: mundem — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Arabic: أَخْفَقَ (ʔaḵfaqa) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Arabic: فَشِلَ (fašila) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Arabic: فِشِل (fišil) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Bulgarian: не успя́вам (ne uspjávam) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Bulgarian: не сполу́чвам (ne spolúčvam) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Catalan: fracassar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Chinese Mandarin: 失敗 /失败 (shībài) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Czech: propadnout — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Danish: dumpe — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Dutch: mislukken — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Dutch: falen — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Esperanto: malsukcesi — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Estonian: edutu — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: epäonnistua — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: tyriä — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: mokata — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: möhlätä — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: töpätä — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: munata — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: tunaroida — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: sössiä — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: möhliä — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: feilata — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: kämmätä — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: flopata — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: ryssiä — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: sählätä — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: säheltää — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: mennä pieleen — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: mennä mönkään — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: mennä reisille — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: mennä puihin — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: mennä vituiksi — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: kyrvähtää — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: mennä penkin alle — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: kusta — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: valua hiekkaan — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: kuivua kokoon — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: mennä myttyyn — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: mennä plörinäksi — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: kädettää — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: mennä kiville — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: töpeksiä — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: stefuttaa — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Finnish: tupeksia — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• French: échouer — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• French: rater — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Galician: falir — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Galician: mancar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Galician: apengar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Galician: marrar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Galician: fracasar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• German: scheitern — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• German: keinen Erfolg haben — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• German: ohne Erfolg bleiben — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• German: nicht gelingen — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• German: missglücken — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Greek: αποτυγχάνω (apotyncháno) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Ancient Greek: ἀποτυγχάνω (apotunkhánō) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Ancient Greek: ἀστοχέω (astokhéō) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Ancient Greek: διαμαρτάνω (diamartánō) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Hebrew: כשל (kashál) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Hungarian: kudarcot vall — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Hungarian: csődöt mond — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Hungarian: elbukik — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Hungarian: nem sikerül — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Indonesian: gagal — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Irish: meath — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Irish: clis ar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Italian: bocciare — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Italian: fallire — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Japanese: 失敗する (shippai suru) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Khmer: ខ្សុយ (khsoy) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Korean: 실패하다 (silpaehada) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Kyrgyz: жол болбоо (jol bolboo) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Kyrgyz: иш ордунан чыкпай калуу (iş ordunan cıkpay kaluu) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Latin: dēsum — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Latin: dēficiō — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Malay: gagal — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Māori: paheke — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Māori: rahua — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Norwegian Bokmål: mislykkes — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Old English: trucian — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Persian: خراب شدن — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Persian: تصورکردن — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Persian: موفق نشدن — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Persian: شکست خوردن — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Polish: nie udać się — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Portuguese: falhar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Portuguese: fracassar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Quechua: qulluy — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Romanian: rata — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Russian: терпе́ть неуда́чу (terpétʹ neudáču) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Russian: потерпе́ть неуда́чу (poterpétʹ neudáču) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Russian: прова́ливаться (proválivatʹsja) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Russian: провали́ться (provalítʹsja) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Russian: не удава́ться (ne udavátʹsja) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Russian: не уда́ться (ne udátʹsja) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Russian: проеба́ться (projebátʹsja) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Russian: проёбываться (projóbyvatʹsja) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Scottish Gaelic: fàillig — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Spanish: fracasar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Spanish: zozobrar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Spanish: escollar — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Swedish: misslyckas — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Tagalog: mabigo — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Thai: ล้มเหลว (lóm-lěeo) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Thai: พัง (pang) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Thai: เจ๊ง (jéng) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Tocharian B: kwäl- — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Ukrainian: зазна́ти невда́чі (zaznáty nevdáči) — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Vietnamese: thất bại — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Welsh: methu — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Welsh: ffili — intransitive: be unsuccessful
• Bulgarian: прова́лям се (prováljam se) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Catalan: fracassar — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Czech: selhat — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Danish: fejle — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Danish: mislykkes — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Danish: slå fejl — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Dutch: mislukken — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Dutch: falen — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Estonian: nurjuma — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Finnish: ei — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• French: faillir — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• French: échouer — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• French: rater — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Galician: falir — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Galician: mancar — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Galician: apengar — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Galician: marrar — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Galician: fracasar — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• German: fehlschlagen — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Ancient Greek: ἀποτυγχάνω (apotunkhánō) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Ancient Greek: ἀστοχέω (astokhéō) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Ancient Greek: διαμαρτάνω (diamartánō) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Hebrew: נִכְשַׁל (nikhshál) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Hungarian: nem sikerül (neki) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Hungarian: nem jár sikerrel — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Hungarian: sikertelen — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Hungarian: nem — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Irish: clis ar — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Italian: fallire — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Italian: cannare — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Italian: toppare — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Italian: fare cilecca — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Latin: dēsum — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Latin: dēficiō — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Māori: taka — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Māori: ngere — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Norwegian Bokmål: mislykkes — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Portuguese: deixar de — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Portuguese: não conseguir — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Russian: терпе́ть неуда́чу (terpétʹ neudáču) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Russian: потерпе́ть неуда́чу (poterpétʹ neudáču) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Russian: не справля́ться (ne spravljátʹsja) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Russian: не спра́виться (ne správitʹsja) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Scottish Gaelic: fàillig — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Spanish: negar — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Spanish: fracasar — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Spanish: no conseguir — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Spanish: darse un sentón — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Spanish: no lograr — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Spanish: no llegar a — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Swedish: misslyckas — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Tagalog: mabigo — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Thai: ล้มเหลว (lóm-lěeo) — transitive: not achieve a stated goal
• Czech: selhávat — be negligent
• Danish: forsømme — be negligent
• Danish: undlade — be negligent
• Dutch: negeren — be negligent
• Finnish: ei — be negligent
• Finnish: epäonnistua — be negligent
• French: négliger — be negligent
• French: oublier — be negligent
• French: omettre — be negligent
• Hungarian: elmulaszt — be negligent
• Hungarian: elfelejt — be negligent
• Italian: mancare — be negligent
• Italian: omettere — be negligent
• Italian: negligere — be negligent
• Italian: ignorare — be negligent
• Italian: tralasciare — be negligent
• Latin: dēsum — be negligent
• Norwegian: svikte — be negligent
• Portuguese: deixar de — be negligent
• Russian: пренебрега́ть (prenebregátʹ) — be negligent
• Russian: пренебре́чь (prenebréčʹ) — be negligent
• Swedish: svika — be negligent
• Tagalog: pumalpak — be negligent
• Bulgarian: отка́звам (otkázvam) — cease to operate
• Bulgarian: не рабо́тя (ne rabótja) — cease to operate
• Catalan: fallar — cease to operate
• Catalan: espatllar-se — cease to operate
• Chinese Mandarin: 故障 (gùzhàng) — cease to operate
• Czech: přestat fungovat — cease to operate
• Danish: svigte — cease to operate
• Dutch: mankeren — cease to operate
• Estonian: seiskuma — cease to operate
• Finnish: vioittua — cease to operate
• Finnish: vikaantua — cease to operate
• Finnish: vikautua — cease to operate
• Finnish: mennä rikki — cease to operate
• Finnish: pysähtyä — cease to operate
• Finnish: rikkoontua — cease to operate
• Finnish: hajota — cease to operate
• Finnish: rikkoutua — cease to operate
• French: tomber en panne — cease to operate
• French: cesser — cease to operate
• French: s'arrêter — cease to operate
• German: versagen — cease to operate
• Hungarian: elromlik — cease to operate
• Hungarian: tönkremegy — cease to operate
• Hungarian: meghibásodik — cease to operate
• Hungarian: felmondja a szolgálatot — cease to operate
• Irish: clis — cease to operate
• Italian: fallire — cease to operate
• Italian: andare in bancarotta — cease to operate
• Italian: fare bancarotta — cease to operate
• Māori: tapore — cease to operate
• Māori: tāporepore — cease to operate
• Māori: ngaengae — cease to operate
• Norwegian: feile — cease to operate
• Polish: przestać działać — cease to operate
• Portuguese: pifar — cease to operate
• Portuguese: falhar — cease to operate
• Romanian: se strica — cease to operate
• Russian: выходи́ть из стро́я (vyxodítʹ iz strója) — cease to operate
• Russian: вы́йти из стро́я (výjti iz strója) — cease to operate
• Russian: не рабо́тать (ne rabótatʹ) — cease to operate
• Spanish: pararse — cease to operate
• Swedish: fallera — cease to operate
• Swedish: mankera — cease to operate
• Thai: พัง (pang) — cease to operate
• Finnish: pettää — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• French: décevoir — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• French: être insuffisant — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• Hungarian: cserben hagy — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• Hungarian: otthagy — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• Hungarian: elhagy — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• Hungarian: magára hagy — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• Irish: tréig — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• Irish: clis — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• Polish: zawodzić — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• Polish: zawieść — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• Spanish: reprobar — to be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert
• Albanian: ngel — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Arabic: رَسَبَ (rasaba) — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Arabic: سقط (sagaṭ) — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Arabic: رسب (rasab) — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Dutch: buizen — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Finnish: saada hylätty — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Finnish: reputtaa — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• French: rater — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• German: durchfallen — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Hungarian: megbukik — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Marathi: नापास होणे (nāpās hoṇe) — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Marathi: फेल होणे (phel hoṇe) — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Romanian: pica — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Russian: провалить (provalitʹ) — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Spanish: suspender — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Spanish: desaprobar — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Spanish: reprobar — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Spanish: improbar — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Spanish: catear — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Spanish: fallar — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Tagalog: bumagsak — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Thai: ตก (dtòk) — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Turkish: sınıfta kalmak — to receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits
• Czech: nechat propadnout — cause to fail
• Danish: dumpe — cause to fail
• Dutch: buizen — cause to fail
• Esperanto: malsukcesigi — cause to fail
• Finnish: vioittaa — cause to fail
• Finnish: rikkoa — cause to fail
• Finnish: pysäyttää — cause to fail
• French: recaler — cause to fail
• Hungarian: megbuktat — cause to fail
• Portuguese: reprovar — cause to fail
• Romanian: strica — cause to fail
• Russian: прова́ливать (proválivatʹ) — cause to fail
• Russian: провали́ть (provalítʹ) — cause to fail
• Tagalog: biguin — cause to fail
• Turkish: sınıfta bırakmak — cause to fail
• French: saquer — to give a student a non-passing grade
• French: recaler — to give a student a non-passing grade
• Spanish: catear — to give a student a non-passing grade
• Spanish: reprobar — to give a student a non-passing grade
• Spanish: suspender — to give a student a non-passing grade
• Spanish: desaprobar — to give a student a non-passing grade
• Spanish: improbar — to give a student a non-passing grade