Tra từ fail - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

fail [fail fails failed failing] verb, noun BrE [feɪl] NAmE [feɪl]
verb

NOT SUCCEED
1. intransitive, transitive to not be successful in achieving sth
• Many diets fail because they are boring.
•a failing school
•~ in sth I failed in my attempt to persuade her.
•~ to do sth She failed to get into art college.
•The song can't fail to be a hit (= definitely will be a hit).

NOT DO STH
2. intransitive to not do sth
•~ to do sth He failed to keep the appointment.
• She never fails to email every week.
•I fail to see (= I don't understand) why you won't even give it a try.
•~ in sth He felt he would be failing in his duty if he did not report it.

TEST/EXAM
3. transitive, intransitive to not pass a test or an exam; to decide that sb/sth has not passed a test or an exam
•~ (sth) He failed his driving test.
• She was disqualified after failing a drugs test.
•What will you do if you fail?
•~ sb The examiners failed over half the candidates.
Opp: ↑pass

OF MACHINES/PARTS OF BODY
4. intransitive to stop working
• The brakes on my bike failed half way down the hill.

OF HEALTH/SIGHT
5. intransitive (especially in the progressive tenses)to become weak
• Her eyesight is failing.
•His last months in office were marred by failing health.

DISAPPOINT SB
6. transitive ~ sb to disappoint sb; to be unable to help when needed
•When he lost his job, he felt he had failed his family.
•She tried to be brave, but her courage failed her.
• (figurative)Words fail me (= I cannot express how I feel).

NOT BE ENOUGH
7. intransitive to not be enough when needed or expected
•The crops failed again last summer.
•The rains had failed and the rivers were dry.

OF COMPANY/BUSINESS
8. intransitive to be unable to continue
•Several banks failed during the recession.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French faillir (verb), faille (noun), based on Latin fallere ‘deceive’.

Thesaurus:
fail verb
1. I, T
•Opponents say it's a policy doomed to fail.
go wrong • • collapse • • break down • • backfire • • fall through • • get/go nowhere • • come to nothing • |formal founder •
Opp: succeed
a plan fails/goes wrong/backfires/falls through/comes to nothing/founders
a relationship/marriage fails/goes wrong/collapses/breaks down
talks fail/collapse/break down/fall through/founder
a project fails/collapses/falls through/founders
2. T, I
•She never fails to email every week.
forget • |formal neglect • |especially BrE, formal omit •
fail/forget/neglect/omit to do sth
completely/totally/almost/never/conveniently fail/forget to do sth
3. I, T
•He failed his driving test.
especially AmE, informal flunk •
Opp: pass
fail/flunk a/an exam/examination/test/course

Example Bank:
•I tried to cheer her up, but failed miserably.
•Others have tried and failed.
•She came up with several plans that failed spectacularly before finally achieving success.
•That joke never fails.
•The authorities have totally failed to address this problem.
•The show didn't just fail, it failed spectacularly.
•The song can't fail to be a hit.
•an enterprise that was doomed to fail from the start
•A high percentage of businesses fail because of the collapse of a major customer.
•Businesses fail because they can't pay their bills.
•I fail to see why you won't even give it a try.
•More banks failed as people rushed to withdraw their money.
•My car failed its MOT.
•Once a student has failed on a few tasks, they lose motivation.
•Opponents say it's a policy doomed to fail.
•She tried to put an all-women crew together, but failed dismally.
•The air-conditioning system failed on the hottest day of the year.
•The brakes on my bike failed halfway down the hill.
•They had tried and they had failed.
•Words fail me.
Idioms: ↑if all else fails ▪ ↑without fail

noun
the result of an exam in which a person is not successful
•I got three passes and one fail.
Opp: ↑pass

Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French faillir (verb), faille (noun), based on Latin fallere ‘deceive’.