fizzle

American  

[fiz-uhl] / ˈfɪz əl /

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

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noun

1. a fizzling, hissing, or sputtering.

2. Informal. a failure; fiasco.

fizzle British  

/ 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

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noun

1. a hissing or bubbling sound; fizz

2. informal an outright failure; fiasco

Etymology

Origin of fizzle

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

Example Sentences

A once profound story of education success will fizzle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

If, for whatever reason, they can’t, a big part of demand will fizzle.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

Retail investors who understand these narratives may spot momentum earlier, but must also be prepared for abrupt reversals when the stories fizzle.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025

Mr Turner said some observers remained cynical, but despite the delays, campaigners didn't intend to let their movement fizzle out.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025

After the Soviet Union’s first reported H-bomb test in August 1953—a relative fizzle known to US intelligence as “Joe-4”—“Ernest said, I think to DuBridge, ‘Well, it’s sure lucky that some people’s advice wasn’t taken.’

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• abort
• misfire
• peter out
• wane