The Meaning of fail

• (v. i.) To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence; to cease to be furnished in the usual or expected manner, or to be altogether cut off from supply; to be lacking; as, streams fail; crops fail.
• (v. i.) To be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; -- used with of.
• (v. i.) To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink.
• (v. i.) To deteriorate in respect to vigor, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker; as, a sick man fails.
• (v. i.) To perish; to die; -- used of a person.
• (v. i.) To be found wanting with respect to an action or a duty to be performed, a result to be secured, etc.; to miss; not to fulfill expectation.
• (v. i.) To come short of a result or object aimed at or desired ; to be baffled or frusrated.
• (v. i.) To err in judgment; to be mistaken.
• (v. i.) To become unable to meet one's engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent.
• (v. t.) To be wanting to ; to be insufficient for; to disappoint; to desert.
• (v. t.) To miss of attaining; to lose.
• (v. i.) Miscarriage; failure; deficiency; fault; -- mostly superseded by failure or failing, except in the phrase without fail.
• (v. i.) Death; decease.

Synonyms

neglect , go wrong , miscarry , betray , go bad , give way , die , give out , conk out , go , break , break down , flunk , bomb , flush it , run out , give out

Antonyms

succeed , manage , pass , pass

Homophones

faile , faille

Rhymes

abigail , ail , airedale , airmail , ale , amell , ancell , assail , avail , avenell , averell , avondale , bail , baile , bale , balle , barksdale , barrell , bartell , bayle , beyl , blackmail , bloomingdale , borrell , brail , braille , cail , cale , carbondale , cardell , carrell , cartmell , carvell , clydesdale , coattail , cocktail , correll , countervail , coverdale , curtail , dail , daile , dale , dayle , derail , detail , deverell , doornail , dovetail , downscale , drail , dralle , email , entail , exhale , faile , faille , fairytale , fantail , farmingdale , farthingale , female , ferndale , fingernail , flail , folktale , foxtail , frail , gael , gail , gaile , gale , galle , garrell , gayle , glendale , gorrell , grail , guardrail , hail , haile , hale , handrail , heyl , hillsdale , hobnail , horsetail , impale , inhale , jail , jamail , jarrell , jerrell , kail , kale , kvale , lail , lavell , levell , macphail , mail , maile , maille , male , marcell , martingale , mayle , mcgrail , mchale , mikhail , modell , monorail , mortell , nadell , nail , naill , nale , nathanael , oakdale , orrell , pail , pale , parcell , perrell , ponytail , pralle , presale , prevail , quail , quale , quayle , quesnell , radell , rael , rafale , rail , raile , rayl , resale , retail , revell , riverdale , sail , sale , salle , savell , sayle , scale , scarsdale , schmale , scottsdale , shale , smail , smale , snail , soleil , spale , springdale , stale , sumrell , sunnyvale , swale , tail , taille , tale , teasdale , telltale , thumbnail , toenail , trail , tramell , travail , uniondale , unveil , upscale , vail , vaile , vale , valle , veil , verrell , wail , wale , weyl , whale , wholesale , withnail , yale , zale