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.
His government had "made unnecessary mistakes" and failed to give the public "hope", he wrote.
From Barron's • May 9, 2026
It wasn’t close to being close enough, and please, stop whining that the referees failed to call enough fouls on the aggressive Thunder.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
After turning down a mammoth financial offer to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal last summer, there had been an expectation Fernandes would leave if United failed to secure Champions League qualification.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Graduation rates, meanwhile, continue to rise—even as dozens of the city’s schools have failed to educate a single student to grade-level proficiency, according to the watchdog group Wirepoints.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
After a truth-telling lecture tour failed to attract much of an audience, Maggie retracted her confession: “I gave expression to utterances that had no foundation in fact.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
