| verb | fail to do something; leave something undone “She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib” |
| verb | be unsuccessful “Where do today's public schools fail?” |
| verb | disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake “His sense of smell failed him this time” |
| verb | stop operating or functioning “The engine finally went” |
| verb | be unable “I fail to understand your motives” |
| verb | judge unacceptable “The teacher failed six students” |
| verb | fail to get a passing grade “She studied hard but failed nevertheless” |
| verb | fall short in what is expected “She failed in her obligations as a good daughter-in-law” |
| verb | become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close “The toy company went bankrupt after the competition hired cheap Mexican labor” |
| verb | prove insufficient “The water supply for the town failed after a long drought” |
| verb | get worse “Her health is declining” |
| failure | noun | an unexpected omission |
| neglect | noun | the trait of neglecting responsibilities and lacking concern |
| miscarriage | noun | failure of a plan |
| breakable | adjective | capable of being broken or damaged |
| breakdown | noun | a cessation of normal operation |
| failing | noun | failure to reach a minimum required performance |
| bomb | noun | an event that fails badly or is totally ineffectual |