Definition of fail

• v. i. - To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence; to cease to be furnished in the usual or expected manner, or to be altogether cut off from supply; to be lacking; as, streams fail; crops fail.
• v. i. - To be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; -- used with of.
• v. i. - To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink.
• v. i. - To deteriorate in respect to vigor, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker; as, a sick man fails.
• v. i. - To perish; to die; -- used of a person.
• v. i. - To be found wanting with respect to an action or a duty to be performed, a result to be secured, etc.; to miss; not to fulfill expectation.
• v. i. - To come short of a result or object aimed at or desired ; to be baffled or frusrated.
• v. i. - To err in judgment; to be mistaken.
• v. i. - To become unable to meet one's engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent.
• v. t. - To be wanting to ; to be insufficient for; to disappoint; to desert.
• v. t. - To miss of attaining; to lose.
• v. i. - Miscarriage; failure; deficiency; fault; -- mostly superseded by failure or failing, except in the phrase without fail.
• v. i. - Death; decease.