1. vt. & vi.失败　 be unsuccessful; be unable
2. vt. & vi.忘记，忽视，未能　 forget; neglect; omit; not remember
3. vt. & vi.不足，短缺，缺乏　 be not enough; come to an end while still needed; be wanting in; lack
4. vi.衰退，衰弱　 (health, physical strength, sight, etc.) decline; weaken
5. vi.破产　 go bankrupt
6. vt.辜负　 let down; make lose hope

　～ a friend　使朋友感到失望，辜负朋友，抛弃朋友
　～ an exam　考试不及格
　～ abjectly　惨败
　～ absolutely　绝对不足
　～ apparently　明显地不足
　～ completely　完全地失败
　～ considerably　极大地失败
　～ conspicuously　显然失败
　～ constantly　不断地失败
　～ deplorably　惨败
　～ despicably　可耻地失败
　～ directly　直接失败
　～ dismally　惨败
　～ doubtfully　难以预料地失败
　～ duly　正式破产
　～ entirely　完全破产
　～ essentially　彻底失败
　～ eventually　最终失败
　～ freely　随意地忘记
　～ fully　完全忘记
　～ gravely　严重地失败
　～ grievously　严重地失败
　～ habitually　常败
　～ hypocritically　假装失败
　～ ignominiously　屈辱地失败
　～ indefensibly　不可避免地失败
　～ indirectly　间接不足
　～ inexplicably　莫明其妙地失败
　～ lamentably　可悲地失败
　～ materially　实质性地失败
　～ mentally　智力上不足
　～ miserably　惨败
　～ needlessly　不必要地失败
　～ occasionally　偶尔地失败
　～ partially　部分地失败
　～ quietly　悄悄地失败
　～ rapidly　迅速恶化
　～ ridiculously　可笑地失败
　～ sadly　惨败
　～ seriously　严重地不足
　～ signally　大败
　～ steadily　不断失败
　～ tentatively　暂时不足
　～ ultimately　最终失败
　～ undoubtedly　必将失败
　～ unwittingly　无意中失败
　～ utterly　完全失败
　～ vitally　极大地不足
　～ for want of help　因得不到帮助而失败
　～ in　在…方面失败，缺乏
　～ in business　做生意不成功
　～ in duty　失职
　～ in everything　一切都失败了
　～ in examination　考试不及格
　～ in health　健康衰退
　～ in persuading sb　没能说服某人
　～ of　没有，未能
　～ of purpose　没有达到目的
　～ of success　没有成功
　～ of the object　没达到目的
　～ on　评定（学生）…不及格
　～ through carelessness　因疏忽而失败

　If you don't work hard, you may fail.　不努力就可能失败。
　The project has failed.　这项研究工作失败了。
　All our plans failed.　我们所有的计划都失败了。
　They led two revolutions and failed.　他们领导过两次革命，都失败了。
　He had done his best but failed.　他竭尽全力但仍然还是失败了。
　He tried to pull out the burning fuse, but failed.　他想法把燃着的引信拔掉，但没有成功。
　The plan failed miserably.　这项计划失败得很惨。
　The machine, however, failed on its trial run.　但这部机器的试车失败了。
　Their water supply had failed.　他们的水供应不上了。
　The oil supply failed.　石油供给不足。
　The flowers failed for lack of rain.　这些花由于缺水而凋零了。
　Her health rapidly failed.　她的健康状况迅速恶化了。
　His sight is beginning to fail.　他的视力开始减退了。
　He was very old and was failing rapidly.　他年岁很大，身体很快衰弱下来。
　The old man was failing and his sons decided to spare him the shock of the news.　老人生命垂危，他的儿子们决定不再让他听到这个使他震惊的消息。
　How rapidly he fails!　他衰弱得多快啊！
　The radio is failing.　无线电声音小下来了。
　Pretty soon father's business failed altogether and I had to leave school again.　不久我父亲的买卖完全倒闭了，我只好再次辍学。
　Several of the biggest banks failed during the depression.　几家最大的银行在萧条时期倒闭了。
　When the price of oil doubled many businesses failed.　当石油价格成倍上涨时，许多企业都无法维持下去了。
　The store failed with him.　这家商店随着他的离去而倒闭了。
　After his death, the family line failed.　他死之后，这个家系就消亡了。
　The patient's heart failed.　病人的心脏停止了跳动。
　The rocket's engine failed a few seconds after taking off.　发射几秒钟后，火箭的发动机便失灵了。
　The crop failed because of drought.　由于干旱，庄稼歉收了。
　The crop failed two years.　这种作物连续两年歉收。
　If the crops fails, there will be a serious food shortage.　如果谷物收成不好，将会出现严重的灾荒。
　He would have succeeded if his courage hadn't failed him.　如果他当时没有失去勇气，他就成功了。
　If you do such sloppy work again, I promise I'll fail you.　要是下次作业你再马马虎虎，我话说在头里，可要给你打不及格了。
　Diligent students occasionally fail this subject.　用功的学生在这门功课上偶尔也不及格。
　If they fail that test, they are likely to have plenty of time to figure out where their game went wrong.　如果他们在测验中失败了，他们会有足够的时间来找出失败的原因。
　He failed his driving-test.　他驾驶测验不合格。
　We trusted him, and he did not fail us.　我们信赖他，他也没有辜负我们的信赖。
　We are counting on your return next year, we know you won't fail us.　我们期待你明年回来，我们知道你不会使我们失望的。
　His friends failed him when he most need-ed them.　他的朋友在他最需要他们的时刻使他失望了。
　She was my responsibility, and I failed her; and so it has come to this.　她应由我管，我没尽到责任，所以落到这个地步。
　His memory failed him.　他记不起事了。
　She was so upset that words failed her.　她心烦意乱得说不出话来。
　Several times he almost brought himself to the point of speaking to them, but his courage failed him.　好几次他几乎就要和他们去说了，但又没有勇气了。
　His heart, however, failed him.　但他的心脏支持不住了。
　She reached for a chair and sat down suddenly, as if her legs had failed her.　她伸手抓住一把椅子，突然坐了下来，好像她的腿支持不住似的。
　Her tongue failed her when she tried to reply.　她想回答，但舌头却不听使唤了。
　I failed to see him. He was out.　我没见到他，他出去了。
　She failed to reach the semi-finals.　她未能进入半决赛。
　Can anyone fail to see what kind of show they are putting on?　谁会看不出来他们玩的是什么把戏?
　They have failed to modernize their factories.　他们没能使他们的工厂现代化。
　He dialed the number again, but failed to get a connection.　他又拨了那个号，仍然没能接通。
　The car failed to climb the hill.　这辆小汽车没能爬上山去。
　All efforts at whitewashing failed to deceive the workers.　所有掩盖真相的努力都没有瞒过工人们。
　Mr. Walt never failed to get up early.　华尔特先生总是早早起床。
　He never failed to write to his mother every week.　他从未耽误过每周给他母亲写信。
　He always fails to lock the door when he leaves.　他离开时总是忘记锁门。
　Don't fail to let me know when you return.　回来时别忘了给我一个信儿。
　Don't fail to ring me up.　别忘了给我打电话。
　Don't fail to remember what I have said.　别忘了我刚才说的话。
　She never fails to keep her words.　她从不食言。
　We receive letters from him every week, he never fails to write.　我们每星期都收到他的来信，他从未忘记写信来。
　He failed to pass the examination through carelessness.　由于粗心，他考试没及格。
　He has suffered from failing health for the last two years.　近两年来，他的健康状况每况愈下。
　In the failing light I could hardly see the road in front of me.　光线越来越暗，我几乎看不清前面的路了。
　Failing that, we must think of another plan.　这要是不行，我们就得另想办法。
　Failing a heavy rainfall soon, the drought will become serious.　要是最近不下一场大雨，旱情就会严重了。
　Failing this, they will be responsible for all the consequences arising there from.　要是做不到这一点，他们必须对由此产生的后果负责。

 ♣ fail in　(v.+prep.)
1. 在…方面失败了 (cause to) be unsuccessful in
　He failed in business.　他经商失败。
　He failed in his attempt to organize another club.　他另组一个俱乐部的企图失败了。
　He failed in his first attempt.　他第一次尝试失败。
　I should consider myself failing in my duty if I did not take immediate action.　我认为如果我不立即采取行动，就是失职。
　He failed in his promise.　他未信守诺言。
　How could you fail in such an easy test?　这么容易的考试你怎会不及格?
　He failed in the examination.　他考试没及格。
　They have failed in literature and art.　他们文学艺术不及格。
　She failed in her mathematics.　她数学不及格。
　I passed in math but failed in French.　我数学及格，但法语不及格。
　Mr. Brown failed in getting a job.　布朗先生没有找到工作。
　I failed in persuading him.　我没能说服他。
　The chairman failed in trying to persuade the committee to share his opinion.　主席没能说服委员会与他持同样的看法。
　He failed in passing the examination through carelessness.　由于粗心，他考试没有及格。
　The teacher failed her in English.　老师评她英语不及格。
　The teacher failed me in the written paper.　老师判我笔试不及格。
　He failed us in our time of need.　在我们正需要帮助的时候，他使我们失望了。
2. 缺乏…，在…方面不足 lack sth
　She writes well, but fails in imagination.　她文笔很好，但写出的东西缺乏想象力。
　His speech failed in persuasiveness and proof.　他的讲演缺乏说服力和论据。
　He's a clever man, but fails in perseverance.　他是个聪明人，但毅力不够。
 ♣ fail of　(v.+prep.)
　在…方面不能达到，缺乏　be unsuccessful in; lack
　He failed of promotion.　他未能获得提升。
　Your plan seems to have failed of its purpose.　你们的计划似乎没有达到预期的目的。
　The policy is bound to fail of its object.　这个政策肯定达不到它的目的。
　His experiment failed of success.　他的实验没有成功。
　The Bill failed of passage in the last Congress.　这项议案在上届国会中未获通过。
　The debater's argument failed of logical connection.　辩论者的论点缺少逻辑上的连贯性。

 ♣ fail, miss
　参见miss条。
 ♣ 下面三句意思相同：

 ♣ 下面两句意思不同：

1. 他未听从我们的劝告。
　［误］ He failed following our advice.
　［正］ He failed to follow our advice.
　［析］ fail后面不接动名词，可接动词不定式，表示“未能干某事”。
2. 虽然他一句话也不说，可是他心底里感到自己失败了。
　［误］ Though he didn't say a word, at heart he felt he was failed.
　［正］ Though he didn't say a word, at heart he felt he had failed.
　［析］ fail在此处用作不及物动词，不能用被动结构。
3. 我所尝试的一切都失败了。
　［误］ I've failed to everything I've tried.
　［误］ I've failed from everything I've tried.
　［正］ I've failed (in) everything I've tried.
　［析］ fail表示“在…方面失败”时可以用作及物动词，其后不用任何介词；也可用作不及物动词，其后一般接介词in，不接to或from.

1. fail是表示否定意义的动词，与否定词搭配即变成肯定句。例如：
　Don't fail to ring me up.　一定要给我打电话。
2. 有些语言学家，认为应将fail in v-ing改为fail to-v. 所以学习者还是不使用fail in v-ing形式为妥。

S 考试不及格 failure in an examination

　Some college courses are graded in terms of either a pass or a fail.　有些大学课程按及格或不及格打分。
　I had three passes and one fail.　我考试三门及格，一门不及格。
　"What were your results?" "A fail in history and passes in everything else."　“你考试成绩怎么样?”“历史不及格，别的各科都通过了。”

 ♣ without fail
　必定，一定　with complete certainty
　I'll be there at two o'clock without fail.　我两点钟一定到那里。
　He comes to visit me every Thursday without fail.　他每逢星期四准来看望我。
　Let me know without fail.　一定要让我知道。
　I'll call on you without fail.　我一定来拜访你。
　I will give you a present on your birthday without fail.　你生日时我一定送你一份礼物。

　我一定把那本书带给你。
　［误］ I shall bring you that book without failure.
　［误］ I shall bring you that book without a fail.
　［正］ I shall bring you that book without fail.
　［析］ without fail是固定搭配，意为“一定，肯定”， fail前无冠词。

　［同义词］ v. fall down, fall through, flop, flunk, default, neglect
　［反义词］ v. succeed
　［词源］　中古英语failen<古法语failir<拉丁语fallere（欺骗，失望）