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.
Sanctions haven’t always failed to achieve their goals.
From The Wall Street Journal • 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
Mr P's widow said she "feels completely failed by the very professionals she should have been able to trust".
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
An attempt to mandate such training failed to get approved by state lawmakers in 2017.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
It meant “thank you”—that much Penelope knew, from her failed attempts to get the children to say it—but what could Svetlana be thanking her for?
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
