fizzle

[fiz-uhl]

verb (used without object)

fizzled, fizzling 

1. to make a hissing or sputtering sound, especially one that dies out weakly.

2. Informal.,  to fail ignominiously after a good start (often followed byout ).

   The reform movement fizzled out because of poor leadership.

   Synonyms: founder, collapse, miscarry

noun

1. a fizzling, hissing, or sputtering.

2. Informal.,  a failure; fiasco.

fizzle

/ ˈfɪzəl /

verb

1. to make a hissing or bubbling sound

2. informal,  (often foll by out) to fail or die out, esp after a promising start

noun

1. a hissing or bubbling sound; fizz

2. informal,  an outright failure; fiasco

Word History and Origins

Origin of fizzle¹

1525–35; earlier fysel to break wind, frequentative of *fise < Old Norse fīsa to break wind; akin to feist

Word History and Origins

Origin of fizzle¹

C16: probably from obsolete fist to break wind

Example Sentences

A much-touted nuclear renaissance in the early 2000s fizzled when electricity demand flattened and the shale boom delivered abundant, cheap natural gas.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Recent fears about the AI trade fizzling had led investors to rotate out of recent winners and into some more defensive sectors — though not all.

Read more on Barron's

I see the light of one of Ama’s Adinkra symbols, but it quickly fizzles out when she trips on one of the vines.

Read more on Literature

People will leave talking about the ending, although it’s a bit of a fizzle — a tense shrug.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

There were even some calls from unions for working hours to be shortened further, but those fizzled out as the labor movement lost ground toward the end of the 20th century.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• abort 
• misfire 
• peter out 
• wane