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.
Bhatt co-founded Robinhood Markets after two failed startups and a cross-country road trip with Vlad Tenev.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
Only Tim Howard has made as many in a single game but, unlike Room, he failed to keep a clean sheet after conceding twice in extra-time for the USA against Belgium in 2014.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
To explore the consequences of failed repair, the researchers engineered mice whose newly formed cerebellar neurons lacked Ligase 4, an enzyme required for repairing DNA breaks.
From Science Daily • Jun. 21, 2026
An attempt to mandate such training failed to get approved by state lawmakers in 2017.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
“I failed my simulation again today. I’m pretty terrible under pressure.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
