epic fail

American

noun

Slang.

a spectacularly embarrassing or humorous mistake, humiliating situation, etc., that is subject to ridicule and given a greatly exaggerated importance.
a person who fails in this way.

He thought he was being funny and charming, but no, he was an epic fail.

Usage

What else does epic fail mean? When someone spectacularly messes up at something—especially little or simple things done or shared in public, like misspelling one's own name on an official form or getting rejected for a kiss on the Jumbotron—people might joke about it as an epic fail. How is epic fail pronounced?[ep-ic feyl]

Etymology

Origin of epic fail

First recorded in 2000–05

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There's no end of flak that can be flung at Russell Martin for the epic fail that is his project at Rangers.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

There was an epic fail of a fumble on the next drive, when Smith mishandled the snap and gave it back to the Cardinals on Seattle’s 34.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2023

Being so thirsty for your own mug shot that you end up faking one is always likely to be an epic fail, but Greene makes it even more pathetic by flashing a beauty pageant grin.

From Salon • Aug. 25, 2023

A former Navy aviator, she’d always held herself to high standards, and getting divorced at 32 felt like an epic fail.

From Washington Post • Nov. 12, 2021

From my parents’ awful plan to give up Sir Fig Newton for adoption, to my epic fail with the lemonade stand.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023