4 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

failed

adjective: unable to meet financial obligations; "a failing business venture" [syn: {failing}]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Fail \Fail\ (f[=a]l) verb (used without an object) [imp. & p. p. {Failed} (f[=a]ld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Failing}.] [F. failir, fr. L. fallere, falsum, to deceive, akin to E. fall. See {Fail}, and cf. {Fallacy}, {False}, {Fault}.]

1. To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence; to cease to be furnished in the usual or expected manner, or to be altogether cut off from supply; to be lacking; as, streams fail; crops fail.

As the waters fail from the sea. --Job xiv. 11.

Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign. --Shak.

2. To be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; -- used with of.

If ever they fail of beauty, this failure is not be attributed to their size. --Berke.

3. To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink.

When earnestly they seek Such proof, conclude they then begin to fail. --Milton.

4. To deteriorate in respect to vigor, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker; as, a sick man fails.

5. To perish; to die; -- used of a person. [Obs.]

Had the king in his last sickness failed. --Shak.

6. To be found wanting with respect to an action or a duty to be performed, a result to be secured, etc.; to miss; not to fulfill expectation.

Take heed now that ye fail not to do this. --Ezra iv. 22.

Either my eyesight fails, or thou look'st pale. --Shak.

7. To come short of a result or object aimed at or desired; to be baffled or frusrated.

Our envious foe hath failed. --Milton.

8. To err in judgment; to be mistaken.

Which ofttimes may succeed, so as perhaps Shall grieve him, if I fail not. --Milton.

9. To become unable to meet one's engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent; as, many credit unions failed in the late 1980's.

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

failed \failed\ adjective unsuccessful. Opposite of {successful}.

Syn: failing. [WordNet 1.5]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

28 Moby Thesaurus words for "failed": abortive, bankrupt, bootless, broke, broken, busted, destitute, failing, fruitless, futile, in receivership, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, insolvent, lame, manque, miscarried, miscarrying, of no effect, on the rocks, ruined, stickit, stillborn, successless, unfortunate, unsuccessful, useless

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