fail
verb
uk/feɪl/us/feɪl/failverb(NOT SUCCEED)
B2[I]
to notsucceedin what you aretryingtoachieveor areexpectedto do:
失败；未能做到Shemovedto London in thehopeoffindingworkas amodel, but failed.她搬到伦敦，希望找做模特的工作，但没找到。
Thismethodofgrowingtomatoesnever fails.这种种植西红柿的方法屡试不爽。
He failedinhisattempttobreaktherecord.他未能打破纪录。
[+ to infinitive]She failedtoreachthe Wimbledon Final thisyear.今年她未能进入温布尔登网球赛决赛。
Thereluctanceof eithersidetocompromisemeansthat thetalksaredoomedto(= willcertainly)fail.双方均不愿让步意味着会谈注定要失败。
to not work or happen as intended
- failWe tried our best, but ultimately the project failed.
- fall apartThings were going smoothly until we hired him, and now everything is falling apart.
- fall to piecesThe plan has potential, but unless we proceed carefully, it could fall to pieces.
- fall throughOur plans to visit fell through at the last minute.
- crackThe Liberal Party is cracking under the pressure of these allegations.
if all else fails
if none ofourplanssucceed:
如果计划均告失败If allelsefails, we can alwaysstayin andwatchTV.如果其他的都行不通，我们总是可以呆在家里看电视。
- If you fail theseexams, you canresitthem nextyear.
- It doesn'tmatterif you fail, just doyourbest.
- Ishuddertothinkwhat myparentswill say when Itellthem I've failed myexams.
- Agriculturalcompanieshave failed toconvinceconsumersthat GMfoodsaresafe.
- If thisprojectfails it willaffectnot onlyourdepartment, but also thewholeorganization.
Failing and doing badly
- abjectly
- at-risk
- backbencher
- balls(something)up
- be on your beam endsidiom
- blow
- blow(someone/something)up
- bomb
- fall to piecesidiom
- fight a losing battleidiom
- flog
- flog a dead horseidiom
- flop
- founder
- rebound
- rot
- running on emptyidiom
- sclerotic
- smoke
- the rot sets inidiom
failverb(EXAM)
A2[IorT]
to beunsuccessful, or tojudgethat someone has beenunsuccessful, in atestorexam:
（使）不及格；（使）未能通过（考试）UKIpassedinhistorybut failedinchemistry.我通过了历史考试，但化学考试没及格。
USIpassedhistorybut failedchemistry.我通过了历史考试，但化学考试没及格。
A lot ofpeoplefailtheirdrivingtestthe firsttime.许多人首次驾驶执照考试都通不过。
She wassureshe was going to fail.她肯定自己考试通不过。
Theexaminersfailed him because he hadn'tansweredenoughquestions.主考人给了他不及格，因为他没有答够规定的题数。
- He'sdreadinghisdrivingtest- he'ssurehe's going to fail.
- Just because youwroteonebadessay, it doesn'tmeanyou're going to failyourexam.
- If you fail theseexams, you canresitthem nextyear.
- I'm notsurprisedhe failed hisexam- he didn'texactlytryvery hard!
- Sheknewthat by failing herexamsshe couldjeopardizeherwholefuture.
Exams, tests & exercises
- achievement test
- Advanced Placement
- AP
- aptitude test
- assessment
- can dophrase
- dictation
- external examination
- moderate
- oral
- pop quiz
- practical
- probationary
- proctor
- psychometric
- quiz
- re-mark
- rubric
- sit
- viva
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Failing and doing badly
failverb(NOT DO)
B2[I]
to not do something that you should do:
未做；未履行[+ to infinitive]He failedtoarriveontime.他未能准时到达。
Thestaffhad beenpromisedarise, but themoneyfailedto(= did not)materialize.员工们得到加薪的承诺，可是钱却没有到位。
You couldn't failtobe(= it isimpossiblethat you would not be)affectedby themovie.你不可能不被这部影片打动。
I'd be failinginmydutyif I didn'ttellyou about therisksinvolvedin theproject.我如果不把这个项目涉及的风险告诉你，就是失职
fail to see/understand
C2
used when you do notacceptsomething:
不明白，不理解I fail toseewhyyou can'tworkon aSaturday.我不懂为什么你星期六不能工作。
- He has failed tofulfilhisdutiesas afather.
- Theguardsfailed toobservewhodeliveredthepackage.
- Man'sinhumanityto man never fails toshockme.
- Wages are failing tokeepup withinflation.
- Thepolicepulledhim over for failing tostopat aredtrafficlight.
Failing and doing badly
- abjectly
- at-risk
- backbencher
- balls(something)up
- be on your beam endsidiom
- blow
- blow(someone/something)up
- bomb
- fall to piecesidiom
- fight a losing battleidiom
- flog
- flog a dead horseidiom
- flop
- founder
- rebound
- rot
- running on emptyidiom
- sclerotic
- smoke
- the rot sets inidiom
failverb(STOP)
B2[I]
tobecomeweakerorstopworkingcompletely:
变弱；衰退；失灵If myeyesightfails, I'll have tostopdoing thisjob.如果视力衰退，我就得放弃这份工作。
Thebrakesfailed and thecarcrashedinto atree.刹车失灵，汽车撞到了树上。
Aftertalkingnon-stopfor twohours, hervoicestartedto fail.滔滔不绝地讲了两个钟头之后，她的声音开始嘶哑了。
Theoldman was failingfast(= he wasdying).老人奄奄一息。
to break down
- break downThe lift has broken down again.
- stop workingI don’t understand it - my phone just stopped working.
- crashWhen a computer crashes, you reboot.
- failThe train’s brakes failed, causing it to derail.
[I]
If abusinessfails, it isunabletocontinuebecause ofmoneyproblems.
（公司）倒闭，破产to stop operating permanently
- close downWith sales down, the company closed one factory down and reduced the workforce at another.
- closeMany of the shops in the High Street have closed recently.
- shut downThe bookshop is shutting down after 25 years of business.
- shutUKSeveral of the bank's local branches are shutting.
- shut up shopUKThe seaside businesses all shut up shop during the winter.
- go/put out of businessMy favourite ice cream shop went out of business last summer.
Becoming and making less strong
- abate
- abatement
- adulterate
- adulterated
- adulteration
- emasculation
- enervate
- enervating
- enfeeble
- enfeebled
- fade
- hedge
- melt
- relieve
- sink
- totter
- tottering
- turn to jellyidiom
- wane
- waste away
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Machines - not functioning
Success & failure in business
failverb(NOT HELP)
[T]
to nothelpsomeone when you areexpectedto do so:
辜负；对…无能为力He failed her in hermomentof need.她最需要他的时候，他却辜负了她。
When Ilookeddown andsawhowfarI had tojump, mycouragefailed me(= Ifeltveryfrightened).当我往下看，看到自己要跳多远时，就泄了气。
Disappointing yourself and others
- abjectly
- anticlimactic
- anticlimax
- be cracked up to besomethingidiom
- be one in the eye forsomeoneidiom
- break
- bubble
- disappointingly
- disappointment
- disenchantment
- dishearten
- disheartening
- eye
- fall
- letsomeonedown
- let the side downidiom
- letdown
- non-event
- pity
- sick
fail
noun[C]
uk/feɪl/us/feɪl/UK
anunsuccessfulresultin acourse,test, orexam:
（课程）未通过；（考试）不及格Johngotthreepassesand four fails in hisexams.约翰考试3门及格，4门不及格。
informal
something that has been done verybadlyor gonecompletelywrong; afailure:
（彻底的）失败Mypancakeswere anepicfail(=completelyunsuccessful).我做的薄煎饼太失败了。
ThesoftwarecrasheseverytimeIopenanemail. What a fail.每次我一打开邮件这个软件就停止运行。太糟糕了！
the fact of not being successful
- failureFailure is not an option.
- breakdownThe complete breakdown of local infrastructure left residents without water or electricity.
- meltdownThe markets experienced a meltdown at the news of the sale.
- collapseThe car manufacturer's collapse left the region's economy in tatters.
- failHe tried to sing the anthem, but it was an epic fail.
Failures
- another/the final nail in the coffinidiom
- bloodbath
- brain freeze
- breakdown
- busted flush
- car crash
- flop
- foul(something)up
- freefall
- game overidiom
- hash
- lemon
- lost cause
- mess
- parody
- reversal
- slim pickings
- slush pile
- track record
- train wreck
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Marks & results
without fail
If you do something without fail, you always do it:
总是；必定I go to thegymeveryMondayandWednesday, without fail.我每周一和周三必定去健身房。
used totellsomeone that they must do something:
务必；一定Be there at nine o'clock, without fail.9点钟务必到那里。