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fail

verb
 OPAL WOPAL S
🔊/feɪl/
🔊/feɪl/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they fail
🔊/feɪl/
🔊/feɪl/
he / she / it fails
🔊/feɪlz/
🔊/feɪlz/
past simple failed
🔊/feɪld/
🔊/feɪld/
past participle failed
🔊/feɪld/
🔊/feɪld/
-ing form failing
🔊/ˈfeɪlɪŋ/
🔊/ˈfeɪlɪŋ/
Idioms
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    not succeed不成功

  1.  
     [intransitive, transitive] to not be successful in achieving something失败；未能（做到）
    • Many diets fail because they are boring.许多规定饮食因单调乏味都不奏效。🔊🔊
    • Ultimately all their efforts failed.最终，他们所有的努力都失败了。
    • a policy/plan fails 政策/计划失败
    • fail in something I failed in my attempt to persuade her.我未能说服她。🔊🔊
    • He failed in his bid for the presidency.他没有竞选总统。
    • fail to do something The department failed to meet its sales targets.该部门未能达到其销售目标。
    • They promised a lot, but utterly failed to deliver.他们答应了很多，但完全没有兑现。
    • The song can't fail to be a hit (= definitely will be a hit).这首歌不可能不流行起来。🔊🔊
    opposite succeed (1)
    Extra Examples
    • I tried to cheer her up, but failed miserably.我尽量让她高兴起来，但丝毫不成功。
    • Economic policy has failed miserably to address these issues.经济政策未能解决这些问题。
    • Others have tried and failed.其他人试过，却失败了。
    • Can we succeed where others have failed?我们可以在别人失败的地方成功吗？
    • He tries to be a good father, but ultimately fails in his responsibility.他努力做一个好父亲，但最终未能履行职责。
    • She failed in her bid to be re-elected.她未能再次当选。
    • She failed to get into art college.她未能进入艺术学院。🔊🔊
    • The film completely fails to convince.这部电影完全无法说服。
    • If the play has some message to get across, it singularly fails to do so.如果该剧有任何要传达的信息，则单单无法做到。
    • That joke never fails.那个笑话屡试不爽。
    • She came up with several plans that failed spectacularly before finally achieving success.她想出了几个方案，但都功败垂成。
    • The show didn't just fail, it failed spectacularly.这场演出不仅是失败，而且是严重失败。
    • The game fails in many respects.游戏在很多方面都失败了。
    • Opponents say it's a policy doomed to fail.反对者说这是注定要失败的政策。
    • She tried to put an all-women crew together, but failed dismally.她试图组建一个全职妇女队伍，但失败了。
    • They had tried and they had failed.他们努力过，也失败过。
    Topics Difficulty and failurea2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • dismally
    • miserably
    • spectacularly
    • …
    verb + fail
    • cannot
    • can hardly
    • be bound to
    • …
    preposition
    • in
    phrases
    • try and fail
    See full entry
    2.

    test/exam测验；考试

  2.  
     [transitive, intransitive] to not pass a test or an exam; to decide that somebody/something has not passed a test or an exam不及格；评定不及格
    • What will you do if you fail?如果你考试失败打算干什么？🔊🔊
    • fail something He failed his driving test.他驾驶执照考试不及格。🔊🔊
    • Students who fail the exam can retake it.考试不及格的学生可以重考。
    • She was disqualified after failing a drugs test.她药检未通过，被取消了资格。🔊🔊
    • The restaurant failed a hygiene inspection.该餐厅没有通过卫生检查。
    • fail somebody The examiners failed over half the candidates.主考人员评定，半数以上考生不及格。🔊🔊
    opposite pass
    Extra Examples
    • My car failed its MOT.我的车没能通过旧车性能检测。
    • Schools that fail their inspection can be taken over.未通过检查的学校可以被接管。
    • I failed all my A levels but I turned out fine.我没有通过所有的A级考试，但结果没问题。
    • She was convinced she'd failed the audition.她确信自己没有通过试镜。
    • He was rejected for the army after failing the physical.身体不合格后，他被军队拒绝。
    • If your attendance drops below 80%, you automatically fail the course.如果您的出勤率降至80％以下，您将自动不及格。
    • They can fail you for poor attendance.他们会因为出勤率差而使您失望。
    • He failed me for not looking in my rear-view mirror often enough.他让我失败的原因是他没有经常看我的后视镜。
    • If you fail, you have to resit.如果失败，则必须重新安置。
    • There's no grade: it's just pass or fail.没有分数：只是通过或失败。
    • Once a student has failed on a few tasks, they lose motivation.学生一旦有几次作业不及格，就会失去学习动力。
    Topics Educationa2

    3. not do something未做某事

  3.  
     [intransitive] to not do something未做；未履行（某事）
    • fail to do something People failed to recognize her talent. 人们没有意识到她的才华。
    • His article fails to mention that he actually supported this change. 他的文章没有提及他实际上支持此更改。
    • If you fail to comply, you can be fined.如果您不遵守，可能会被罚款。
    • The government has failed to provide the needed resources.政府未能提供所需的资源。
    • Such comments never failed to annoy him.这样的评论向来都使他生气。
    • I fail to see (= I don't understand) why you won't even give it a try.我不懂为什么你连试一试都不愿意。🔊🔊
    • She cannot fail to (= must) be aware of the situation.她不能（必须）意识到这种情况。
    • fail in something They failed in their duty to protect the public.他们没有履行保护公众的责任。
    More Like This Verbs usually followed by infinitivesVerbs usually followed by infinitives
    Extra Examples
    • He failed to keep the appointment.他未履约。🔊🔊
    • The authorities have totally failed to address this problem.当局完全没有处理这一问题。
    • I fail to understand why this can't be resolved.我不明白为什么这无法解决。
    • They fail to understand the underlying causes.他们无法理解根本原因。
    • The country failed to comply with UN resolutions.该国未遵守联合国决议。
    • He has repeatedly failed to explain his actions.他屡屡未能解释自己的行为。
    • He felt he would be failing in his duty if he did not report it.他认为如果不报告就是他失职。🔊🔊
    • Politicians are failing in their responsibility to tackle climate change.政客们未能履行应对气候变化的责任。
    • She failed in her obligation to warn the client.她没有警告顾客的义务。
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • completely
    • totally
    See full entry
    4.

    of machines/parts of body机器；身体部位

  4.  
     [intransitive] to stop working出故障；失灵
    • The brakes on my bike failed half way down the hill.我的自行车下山至中途车闸失灵了。🔊🔊
    • The air-conditioning system failed on the hottest day of the year.空调系统在一年里最热的那天瘫痪了。
    • Sadly, his kidneys had failed.可悲的是，他的肾脏衰竭了。
    Extra Examples
    • The plane can still be flown if one engine fails.如果一台发动机发生故障，飞机仍可以飞行。
    • The ship was towed into harbour when its engines failed.引擎故障时，该船被拖入港口。
    • Many of the plane's systems failed before the crash.飞机坠毁前，许多飞机系统都发生了故障。
    • The PA system failed partway through his speech.PA系统在他的演讲中途失败了。
    • Telephone systems can fail during a storm.电话系统在暴风雨中可能会发生故障。
    • What happens if your internet connection fails while you are downloading a file?如果在下载文件时互联网连接失败，该怎么办？
    • If your power fails, or your broadband connection goes down, you can't make or receive calls.如果电源中断或宽带连接断开，则无法拨打或接听电话。
    • If the circuit is broken the entire network could fail.如果电路断开，整个网络可能会失败。
    • An overdose could cause the heart to fail.过量可能导致心脏衰竭。
    5.

    of health/sight/light

  5. [intransitive] (especially in the progressive tenses尤用于进行时) to become weak衰退
    • Her eyesight is failing.她的视力日渐衰退。🔊🔊
    • The light began to fail.天暗下来了.
    6.

    disappoint somebody使失望

  6. [transitive] fail somebody to disappoint somebody; to be unable to help when needed使失望；有负于；无能为力
    • When he lost his job, he felt he had failed his family.他失去工作以后，感到辜负了家庭。🔊🔊
    • She tried to be brave, but her courage failed her.她想勇敢，但却鼓不起勇气。🔊🔊
    • (figurative) Words fail me (= I cannot express how I feel).我无法表达自己的感受。🔊🔊
    Topics Feelingsc1

    7. not be enough不足

  7. [intransitive] to not be enough when needed or expected不足；缺乏
    • The crops failed again last summer.上个夏季庄稼又歉收了。🔊🔊
    • The rains had failed and the rivers were dry.雨量不足，河流干涸。🔊🔊
    8.

    of company/business公司；企业

  8. [intransitive] to be unable to continue倒闭；破产
    • Several banks failed during the recession.经济衰退期间有几家银行倒闭了。🔊🔊
    Extra Examples
    • an enterprise that was doomed to fail from the start从一开始就注定会失败的事业
    • A high percentage of businesses fail because of the collapse of a major customer.由于主要客户的崩溃，很大一部分企业倒闭。
    • Businesses fail because they can't pay their bills.企业失败是因为他们无法支付账单。
    • More banks failed as people rushed to withdraw their money.由于人们争相挤兑，更多银行倒闭了。
    Topics Businessb2
    9. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French faillir (verb), faille (noun), based on Latin fallere ‘deceive’.
Idioms
if all else fails
  1. used to suggest something that somebody can do if nothing else they have tried is successful实在不行的话（还可以…）
    • If all else fails, you can always sell your motorbike.如果所有别的办法都不行，你总还可以卖掉摩托车。🔊🔊
too big to fail
  1. (of a bank or business) 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出故障；失灵
    • Shouldering the huge costs of rescuing banks that are too big to fail has been left to taxpayers.救助银行的巨大成本太大而无法倒闭，这留给了纳税人。

fail

noun
🔊/feɪl/
🔊/feɪl/
 Idioms
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  1. [countable] the result of an exam in which a person is not successful（考试）不及格
    • I got three passes and one fail.我考试三门及格，一门不及格。🔊🔊
    opposite pass
  2. [countable, uncountable] (informal) a mistake or lack of success in doing something失误；失败
    • The show was an epic fail.这场演出惨不忍睹。
    • For the sake of that potential, I'm willing to put up with some fail.为了这种潜力，我愿意忍受一些失败。
    Topics Difficulty and failurec1
    3. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French faillir (verb), faille (noun), based on Latin fallere ‘deceive’.
Idioms
without fail
  1. when you tell somebody to do something without fail, you are telling them that they must do it务必；一定
    • I want you here by two o'clock without fail.我要你两点钟务必来到这里。🔊🔊
    Topics Permission and obligationc2
  2. always总是；必定
    • He hands in his assignment every week without fail.他每周都会交作业。
Grammar Point fail / failurefail / failureThis use of fail as a noun instead of failure in a sense that does not just apply to exams has become more common in informal language in the 21st century. A similar case is revealfail 取代 failure 用作名词不只限于描述考试，这种用法在 21 世纪的非正式用语中已经越来越普遍。类似的情况还有 reveal：
  • We have to wait for the final chapter for the big reveal.我们得等到最后一章才能看到大结局。