fail

I

(Roget's IV) v.

1. [To be unsuccessful]

Syn. miscarry, fall short, miss, slip, lose, make nothing of, come to naught, come to nothing, falter, flounder, blunder, break down, break, run aground, founder, misfire, come to grief, get into trouble, lose ground, abort, neglect, backslide, not pass, be demoted, lose status, come down, fall flat, fall through, go amiss, go astray, fall down, get left, be found lacking, be found wanting, be deficient, be inadequate, go down, go under, lose one's labor, hit a slump, miss an opportunity, not measure up, not measure up to expectation, not pass muster, lose out, give out, not have it in one, be all over with, come short of, break one's word, not make the grade, not make it, miss the mark, lose control, fall from one's high estate, go wrong, flop*, bomb*, flunk*, fall down on the job*, miss the boat*, bite the dust*, blow the chance*, fizzle out*, go belly up*, hit rock bottom*, crap out*, go down the tubes*, go down swinging*, end in smoke*, go up in smoke*, not get to first base*, touch bottom*, lay an egg*, draw a blank*, not come off*, come a cropper*, not cut the mustard*, conk out*, peter out*, flunk out*, strike out*, wash out*, fold up*, go on the rocks*, die on the vine*, go over like a lead balloon*.

Ant. succeed, win*, triumph.

2. [To disappoint]

Syn. let down, desert, leave, displease; see abandon 2 , disappoint .

3. [To grow less]

Syn. decline, lessen, worsen, sink; see decay .

4. [To become insolvent]

Syn. go bankrupt, default, be in arrears, overdraw, go out of business, go into receivership, go under, default on payment, dishonor, repudiate, be ruined, collapse, go broke*, fold*, go to the wall*, throw in the sponge*, be unable to make ends meet*, drown in red ink*, crash*, go belly up*, go down the tubes*, lose one's shirt*, go on the rocks*, bust*.

Ant. prosper*, gain, thrive.

5. [To dismiss for failure]

Syn. send home, dismiss, suspend, put on probation, flunk*, send down*.

• without fail,

Syn. certainly, constantly, Dependably, reliably; see regularly 1 , 2 , surely , yes .

II

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) v.

1. not succeed *blow it, *fall short, slip up, lose, go wrong, flop, *go down in flames, *choke, fizzle, *take a dive, go awry, miss, *bomb, *fall flat on one's face, flunk, *lay an egg, run aground, *strike out, *come a cropper.

2. weaken deteriorate, dwindle, die away, wane, *collapse of one's own weight, sink, fade, *be on one's last legs, *circle the drain, decline, sicken.

3. default back out, neglect, forsake, renege, let down, desert, slight, disregard, *abort, faulter, miscarry, ignore.

4. go bankrupt crash, close, *lose one's shirt, *go belly up, *file for chapter eleven, *go broke, fold, go out of business, *drown in a sea of red ink.

ANT.: 1. succeed, win, achieve, triumph. 2. grow stronger, flourish, thrive. 3. carry out, follow through. 4. flourish, thrive, profit

III

(Roget's Thesaurus II) verb 1. To prove deficient or insufficient: give out, run out. Idioms: fall short, run dry, run short. See EXCESS. 2. To be unsuccessful: choke, fall through. Informal: fall down, flop. Slang: bomb. Idioms: fail of success, fall short. See THRIVE. 3. To receive less than a passing grade: Informal: flunk. See THRIVE. 4. To not do (something necessary): default, neglect, omit. See DO. 5. To lose strength or power: decline, degenerate, deteriorate, fade, flag2, languish, sink, wane, waste (away), weaken. Informal: fizzle (out). Idioms: go downhill, hit the skids. See STRONG, INCREASE. 6. To cease functioning properly: break down, give out. Slang: conk out. See THRIVE. 7. To make or become unusable or inoperative: break, ruin. Slang: bust. See HELP. 8. To undergo sudden financial failure: break, bust, collapse, crash, go under. Informal: fold. Idioms: go belly up, go bust, go on the rocks, go to the wall. See MONEY.