Word

fail, v.
(failed, failing, fails)
freq. cnt. 108

fail to do something; leave something undone
<verb.social> freq. cnt.: 70 freq. cnt.: 66 freq. cnt.: 4

fail neglect

sample sentences

"She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib"
"The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account"

verb frames

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

verb frames

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

semantic pointers

hyponym

lose track strike out default, default on choke muff miss

be unsuccessful
<verb.social> freq. cnt.: 46 freq. cnt.: 33 freq. cnt.: 12 freq. cnt.: 1

fail go wrong miscarry

sample sentences

"Where do today's public schools fail?"
"The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably"

verb frames

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

verb frames

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

verb frames

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

failure failure failure failure

antonym

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

semantic pointers

hyponym

take it on the chin miss overreach spoil, louse up, fuck up, flub, muck up, foul up, mess up, botch, bodge, bumble, fumble, botch up, muff, blow, screw up, ball up, bungle, fluff, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, bobble, mishandle strike out fall shipwreck fall through, fall flat, founder, flop

disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake
<verb.emotion> freq. cnt.: 7 freq. cnt.: 5 freq. cnt.: 2

betray fail

sample sentences

"His sense of smell failed him this time"
"His strength finally failed him"
"His children failed him in the crisis"

verb frames

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

verb frames

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

semantic pointers

hypernym

disappoint, let down

stop operating or functioning
<verb.change> freq. cnt.: 8 freq. cnt.: 3 freq. cnt.: 2 freq. cnt.: 2 freq. cnt.: 1

break break down conk out die fail give out give way go go bad

sample sentences

"The engine finally went"
"The car died on the road"
"The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"
"The coffee maker broke"
"The engine failed on the way to town"
"her eyesight went after the accident"

verb frames

Something ----s
These cars won't %s

verb frames

Something ----s
These cars won't %s

verb frames

Something ----s
These cars won't %s

verb frames

Something ----s
These cars won't %s

verb frames

Something ----s

verb frames

Something ----s

verb frames

Something ----s
These cars won't %s

verb frames

Something ----s
These cars won't %s

verb frames

Something ----s
These cars won't %s

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

semantic pointers

hypernym

verb group

break die, perish, pass away, go, expire, drop dead, croak, decease, exit, pass, kick the bucket, cash in one's chips, buy the farm, conk, give-up the ghost, pop off, choke, snuff it

hyponym

crash, go down blow out, burn out, blow misfire malfunction, misfunction

be unable
<verb.social> freq. cnt.: 1 freq. cnt.: 1

fail

sample sentences

"I fail to understand your motives"

verb frames

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

lexical pointers

antonym

get worse
<verb.change>

fail

sample sentences

"Her health is declining"

verb frames

Something ----s

semantic pointers

hypernym

decline, worsen

prove insufficient
<verb.change>

fail give out run out

sample sentences

"The water supply for the town failed after a long drought"

verb frames

Something ----s

verb frames

Something ----s

verb frames

Something ----s

become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close
<verb.possession>

fail

sample sentences

"The toy company went bankrupt after the competition hired cheap Mexican labor"
"A number of banks failed that year"

verb frames

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

fall short in what is expected
<verb.social>

fail

sample sentences

"She failed in her obligations as a good daughter-in-law"
"We must not fail his obligation to the victims of the Holocaust"

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

failure failing

semantic pointers

verb group

fail, flunk, bomb, flush it

fail to get a passing grade
<verb.social>

bomb fail flunk flush it

sample sentences

"She studied hard but failed nevertheless"
"Did I fail the test?"

verb frames

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

verb frames

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

verb frames

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

verb frames

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

antonym

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

semantic pointers

verb group

judge unacceptable
<verb.social>

fail

sample sentences

"The teacher failed six students"

verb frames

Somebody ----s somebody

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

antonym

semantic pointers

hypernym

judge, evaluate, pass judgment

verb group

fail, flunk, bomb, flush it