fail
verb (used without object)
to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved.
were failing
-
past progressiveof fail.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Andrews had end stage kidney disease as a result of type 2 diabetes and his kidney's were failing.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The scientists conducted additional tests to determine whether the mice were failing because of vision problems or movement difficulties.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026
I was worried my fine motor skills were failing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
“We were failing, wondering if we’d ever make it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026
They were sitting there for ten minutes, and no doubt many of them felt that they were failing an important test, that they had been exposed as stupid.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
