fail in WordNet English dictionary

1. disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake
   "His sense of smell failed him this time"; "His strength finally failed him"; "His children failed him in the crisis"
   fail  betray 
   
2. fail to get a passing grade
   "She studied hard but failed nevertheless"; "Did I fail the test?"
   fail  flunk  bomb  flush it 
   
3. stop operating or functioning
   "The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident"
   fail  go bad  give way  die  give out  conk out  go  break  break down 
   
4. get worse
   "Her health is declining"
   fail 
   
5. prove insufficient
   "The water supply for the town failed after a long drought"
   fail  run out  give out 
   
6. become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close
   "The toy company went bankrupt after the competition hired cheap Mexican labor"; "A number of banks failed that year"
   fail 
   
7. be unsuccessful
   "Where do today's public schools fail?"; "The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably"
   fail  go wrong  miscarry 
   
8. fail to do something; leave something undone
   "She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib"; "The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account"
   fail  neglect 
   
9. judge unacceptable
   "The teacher failed six students"
   fail 
   
10. be unable
    "I fail to understand your motives"
    fail 
    
11. fall short in what is expected
    "She failed in her obligations as a good daughter-in-law"; "We must not fail his obligation to the victims of the Holocaust"
    fail