noun
Meaning 1
A spluttering or hissing sound.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
fizzle
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK, US: /ˈfɪzəl/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɪzəl
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CMU ARPABET: F IH1 Z AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
Failure of an exploding nuclear bomb to meet its expected yield during testing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, military, politics, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
An abortive effort; a flop or dud.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A state of agitation or worry.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To sputter or hiss.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- The soda fizzled for several minutes after it was poured.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To decay or die off to nothing; to burn out; to end less successfully than previously hoped.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, informal
Examples
- The entire project fizzled after the founder quit.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To fail to generate the expected yield when exploded during testing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, military, politics, war
Examples
- The shot fizzled, generating only 200 tons rather than the 30 kilotons they were aiming for.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
a complete failure
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the play was a dismal flop
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: flop, bust
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: failure
Narrower terms: turkey, bomb, dud
noun
Meaning 9
a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the performers could not be heard over the hissing of the audience
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hiss, hissing, hushing, sibilation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: noise
verb
Meaning 10
end weakly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The music just petered out--there was no proper ending
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: taper off, peter out, fizzle out
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: discontinue
History
Etymology
Attested in English since 1525-35. From earlier fysel (“to fart”). Related to fīsa (“to fart”). Compare with Swedish fisa (“to fart (silently)”). See also feist. It could also come from old Norse: "fise" simply means "blow," like in "blow in the wind." A weather-exposed community in Rogaland, Norway, is called Fister. (In modern language, the verb "fisle" has the same 3 meanings as in English, see below.)
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Armenian: թեթեւ ֆշշոց (tʻetʻew fššocʻ) — spluttering or hissing sound
- Bulgarian: шипене (šipene) — spluttering or hissing sound
- Danish: brusen — spluttering or hissing sound
- Finnish: pihinä — spluttering or hissing sound
- Polish: syk — spluttering or hissing sound
- Russian: шипение (šipenije) — spluttering or hissing sound
- Swedish: fräsande — spluttering or hissing sound
- Swedish: pysande — spluttering or hissing sound
- Polish: fiasko — flop or dud
- Armenian: թեթեւ ֆշշալ (tʻetʻew fššal) — to splutter or hiss
- Armenian: թշշալ (tʻššal) — to splutter or hiss
- Bulgarian: шипя (šipja) — to splutter or hiss
- Czech: šumět — to splutter or hiss
- Czech: syčet — to splutter or hiss
- Danish: bruse — to splutter or hiss
- Finnish: pihistä — to splutter or hiss
- German: zischen — to splutter or hiss
- Polish: syczeć — to splutter or hiss
- Polish: zasyczeć — to splutter or hiss
- Russian: шипе́ть (šipétʹ) — to splutter or hiss
- Swedish: fräsa — to splutter or hiss
- Swedish: pysa — to splutter or hiss
- Bulgarian: провалям се (provaljam se) — to decay or die off to nothing
- Chinese Mandarin: 失败 (shībài) — to decay or die off to nothing
- Chinese Mandarin: (计划)流产 — to decay or die off to nothing
- Danish: ebbe ud — to decay or die off to nothing
- Finnish: kuivua kokoon — to decay or die off to nothing
- German: im Sande verlaufen — to decay or die off to nothing
- German: totlaufen — to decay or die off to nothing
- German: zu nichts führen — to decay or die off to nothing
- German: fehlschlagen — to decay or die off to nothing
- German: missglücken — to decay or die off to nothing
- Polish: spalić na panewce — to decay or die off to nothing
- Polish: brać w łeb — to decay or die off to nothing
- Polish: wziąć w łeb — to decay or die off to nothing
- Russian: потерпеть фиа́ско (poterpetʹ fiásko) — to decay or die off to nothing
- Russian: выдохнуться (vydoxnutʹsja) — to decay or die off to nothing
- Spanish: fundir — to decay or die off to nothing
- Spanish: fundirse apagarse — to decay or die off to nothing
- Spanish: menguar — to decay or die off to nothing
- Spanish: esfumarse — to decay or die off to nothing
- Swedish: rinna ut i sanden — to decay or die off to nothing