failed
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of failed
First recorded in 1650–60; fail ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
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.
In “Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World,” he speaks for the ordinary people of the past in their concrete reality.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Failed attempts to return Romero León have been laid out in weekly status reports the government is required to submit to the court.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
Failed breakdowns can be powerful fuel for upside moves, particularly when they occur after extended declines.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
"Failed restructuring plans and broken promises from the company have become a familiar, demoralising pattern, and things simply can't go on as they are," he added.
From BBC • May 20, 2025
A Failed Expedition When news from Parthia at last reached Cleopatra, it was not good.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
