word-vault

{ "term": "fail", "partOfSpeech": "verb", "ox3000": true, "cefr": "a2", "verbForms": { "presentSimple": { "iYouWeThey": "fail", "heSheIt": "fails" }, "pastSimple": "failed", "pastParticiple": "failed", "ingForm": "failing" }, "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "to not be successful in achieving something", "sensetop": "fail in somethingfail to do something", "cefr": "a2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "Many diets fail because they are boring." }, { "text": "Ultimately all their efforts failed." }, { "text": "a policy/plan fails" }, { "text": "I **failed in** my **attempt** to persuade her.", "contextForm": "fail in something" }, { "text": "He **failed in** his **bid** for the presidency." }, { "text": "The department **failed to meet** its sales targets.", "contextForm": "fail to do something" }, { "text": "They promised a lot, but utterly **failed to deliver**." }, { "text": "The song **can't fail** to be a hit *(= definitely will be a hit)*." }, { "text": "I tried to cheer her up, but failed miserably." }, { "text": "Economic policy has failed miserably to address these issues." }, { "text": "Others have tried and failed." }, { "text": "Can we succeed where others have failed?" }, { "text": "He tries to be a good father, but ultimately fails in his responsibility." }, { "text": "She failed in her bid to be re-elected." }, { "text": "She failed to get into art college." }, { "text": "The film completely fails to convince." }, { "text": "If the play has some message to get across, it singularly fails to do so." }, { "text": "That joke never fails." }, { "text": "She came up with several plans that failed spectacularly before finally achieving success." }, { "text": "The show didn't just fail, it failed spectacularly." }, { "text": "The game fails in many respects." }, { "text": "Opponents say it's a policy doomed to fail." }, { "text": "She tried to put an all-women crew together, but failed dismally." }, { "text": "They had tried and they had failed." } ], "topics": ["Difficulty and failure"], "collocations": { "adverb": ["dismally", "miserably", "spectacularly"], "verb + fail": ["cannot", "can hardly", "be bound to"], "preposition": ["in"], "phrases": ["try and fail"] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "to not pass a test or an exam; to decide that somebody/something has not passed a test or an exam", "sensetop": "fail somethingfail somebody", "cefr": "a2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "What will you do if you fail?" }, { "text": "He **failed** his driving **test**.", "contextForm": "fail something" }, { "text": "Students who **fail the exam** can retake it." }, { "text": "She was disqualified after failing a drugs test." }, { "text": "The restaurant failed a hygiene inspection." }, { "text": "The examiners failed over half the candidates.", "contextForm": "fail somebody" }, { "text": "My car failed its MOT." }, { "text": "Schools that fail their inspection can be taken over." }, { "text": "I failed all my A levels but I turned out fine." }, { "text": "She was convinced she'd failed the audition." }, { "text": "He was rejected for the army after failing the physical." }, { "text": "If your attendance drops below 80%, you automatically fail the course." }, { "text": "They can fail you for poor attendance." }, { "text": "He failed me for not looking in my rear-view mirror often enough." }, { "text": "If you fail, you have to resit." }, { "text": "There's no grade: it's just pass or fail." }, { "text": "Once a student has failed on a few tasks, they lose motivation." } ], "topics": ["Education"] }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "to not do something", "sensetop": "fail to do somethingfail in something", "cefr": "b1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "People **failed to recognize** her talent.", "contextForm": "fail to do something" }, { "text": "His article **fails to mention** that he actually supported this change." }, { "text": "If you **fail to comply**, you can be fined." }, { "text": "The government has **failed to provide** the needed resources." }, { "text": "Such comments **never failed to** annoy him." }, { "text": "**I fail to see** *(= I don't understand)* why you won't even give it a try." }, { "text": "She **cannot fail to** *(= must)* be aware of the situation." }, { "text": "They **failed in** their **duty** to protect the public.", "contextForm": "fail in something" }, { "text": "He failed to keep the appointment." }, { "text": "The authorities have totally failed to address this problem." }, { "text": "I fail to understand why this can't be resolved." }, { "text": "They fail to understand the underlying causes." }, { "text": "The country failed to comply with UN resolutions." }, { "text": "He has repeatedly failed to explain his actions." }, { "text": "He felt he would be failing in his duty if he did not report it." }, { "text": "Politicians are failing in their responsibility to tackle climate change." }, { "text": "She failed in her obligation to warn the client." } ], "collocations": { "adverb": ["completely", "totally"] } }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "to stop working", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "The brakes on my bike failed half way down the hill." }, { "text": "The air-conditioning system failed on the hottest day of the year." }, { "text": "Sadly, his kidneys had failed." }, { "text": "The plane can still be flown if one engine fails." }, { "text": "The ship was towed into harbour when its engines failed." }, { "text": "Many of the plane's systems failed before the crash." }, { "text": "The PA system failed partway through his speech." }, { "text": "Telephone systems can fail during a storm." }, { "text": "What happens if your internet connection fails while you are downloading a file?" }, { "text": "If your power fails, or your broadband connection goes down, you can't make or receive calls." }, { "text": "If the circuit is broken the entire network could fail." }, { "text": "An overdose could cause the heart to fail." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 5, "definition": "to become weak", "examples": [ { "text": "Her eyesight is failing." }, { "text": "The light began to fail." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 6, "definition": "to disappoint somebody; to be unable to help when needed", "sensetop": "fail somebody", "labels": "(figurative)", "cefr": "c1", "examples": [ { "text": "When he lost his job, he felt he had failed his family." }, { "text": "She tried to be brave, but her courage failed her." }, { "text": "**Words fail me** *(= I cannot express how I feel)*." } ], "topics": ["Feelings"] }, { "senseNumber": 7, "definition": "to not be enough when needed or expected", "examples": [ { "text": "The crops failed again last summer." }, { "text": "The rains had failed and the rivers were dry." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 8, "definition": "to be unable to continue", "cefr": "b2", "examples": [ { "text": "Several banks failed during the recession." }, { "text": "an enterprise that was doomed to fail from the start" }, { "text": "A high percentage of businesses fail because of the collapse of a major customer." }, { "text": "Businesses fail because they can't pay their bills." }, { "text": "More banks failed as people rushed to withdraw their money." } ], "topics": ["Business"] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "used to suggest something that somebody can do if nothing else they have tried is successful", "examples": [ { "text": "If all else fails, you can always sell your motorbike." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "so important to the economy of a country that when it finds itself in financial trouble, the government or central bank must act to save it", "examples": [ { "text": "Shouldering the huge costs of rescuing banks that are too big to fail has been left to taxpayers." } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/feɪl/", "audio": "fa/fail/fail__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/feɪlz/", "audio": "fa/fail/fails__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/feɪld/", "audio": "fa/fail/failed__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈfeɪlɪŋ/", "audio": "fa/fail/failing__gb_2.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/feɪl/", "audio": "fa/fail/fail__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/feɪlz/", "audio": "fa/fail/fails__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/feɪld/", "audio": "fa/fail/failed__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈfeɪlɪŋ/", "audio": "fa/fail/failing__us_2.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French faillir (verb), faille (noun), based on Latin fallere ‘deceive’." }