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 2021, Uganda and DR Congo launched a joint offensive to drive the ADF out of their Congolese strongholds, but it has so far failed to put an end to the group's attacks.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
The DOJ claims that DC Water failed to repair the 54-mile pipe, known as the Potomac Interceptor, despite inspections that found corrosion years earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it is requiring Blue Origin to conduct a "mishap investigation" after the space company's New Glenn rocket failed to deliver a communications satellite into the correct orbit.
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
Díaz failed to get an out in the Dodgers’ 9-6 loss in a non-save situation Sunday to the Colorado Rockies, his first appearance in nine days.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
Three things never failed to shock the social worker: people’s capacity for cruelty, their capacity for kindness, and their capacity for change.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
