fail – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of fail

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to fail
Participle: failed
Gerund: failing

Cognates

See the 6 cognates of fail

Indicative

Present

Ifail
youfail
he;she;itfails
wefail
youfail
theyfail

Perfect

Ihave failed
youhave failed
he;she;ithas failed
wehave failed
youhave failed
theyhave failed

Past

Ifailed
youfailed
he;she;itfailed
wefailed
youfailed
theyfailed

Pluperfect

Ihad failed
youhad failed
he;she;ithad failed
wehad failed
youhad failed
theyhad failed

Future

Iwill fail
youwill fail
he;she;itwill fail
wewill fail
youwill fail
theywill fail

Future Perfect

Iwill have failed
youwill have failed
he;she;itwill have failed
wewill have failed
youwill have failed
theywill have failed

Subjunctive

Present

Ifail
youfail
he;she;itfail
wefail
youfail
theyfail

Perfect

Ihave failed
youhave failed
he;she;ithave failed
wehave failed
youhave failed
theyhave failed

Imperfect

Ifailed
youfailed
he;she;itfailed
wefailed
youfailed
theyfailed

Pluperfect

Ihad failed
youhad failed
he;she;ithad failed
wehad failed
youhad failed
theyhad failed

Conditional

Present

Iwould fail
youwould fail
he;she;itwould fail
wewould fail
youwould fail
theywould fail

Perfect

Iwould have failed
youwould have failed
he;she;itwould have failed
wewould have failed
youwould have failed
theywould have failed

Imperative

youfail
weLet's fail
youfail

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam failing
youare failing
he;she;itis failing
weare failing
youare failing
theyare failing

Perfect

Ihave been failing
youhave been failing
he;she;ithas been failing
wehave been failing
youhave been failing
theyhave been failing

Past

Iwas failing
youwere failing
he;she;itwas failing
wewere failing
youwere failing
theywere failing

Pluperfect

Ihad been failing
youhad been failing
he;she;ithad been failing
wehad been failing
youhad been failing
theyhad been failing

Future

Iwill be failing
youwill be failing
he;she;itwill be failing
wewill be failing
youwill be failing
theywill be failing

Future Perfect

Iwill have been failing
youwill have been failing
he;she;itwill have been failing
wewill have been failing
youwill have been failing
theywill have been failing

Conditional

Present

Iwould be failing
youwould be failing
he;she;itwould be failing
wewould be failing
youwould be failing
theywould be failing

Perfect

Iwould have been failing
youwould have been failing
he;she;itwould have been failing
wewould have been failing
youwould have been failing
theywould have been failing

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'fail'

abandon, abduct, abear, aberr, abject, abord, abort, abound, abraid, abray, abrook, abscind, abscond, absist, absorb, abstain, abstract, accend, accent, accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)

Verbs similar to 'fail'

ail, bail, fael, faile, fain, fair, fall, farl, flail, foil,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

come to naught
abate
flunk
misfire, flounder, blunder, falter, flop, founder, miss
decline
cease, lessen, deteriorate, decay, flag, disappear, dwindle
desert
abandon, forsake, neglect, abort, leave
disappoint
deceive, displease
default
dishonor, repudiate, overdraw, crash

Antonyms

to be successful
decline, fall, fall on hard times, go downhill, go pear-shaped, go to pot, go to shit, go to the dogs, prosper
to continue to exist
break, persist, yield
decline
rise, increase, improve
desert
stay, remain, abide, continue

Additional Information

Phrasal Verbs

Etymology

1. Etymology tree
2. Classical Latin fallere
3. Vulgar Latin *fallīre
4. Old French falirbor.
5. Middle English failen
6. English fail
7. Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”).
8. Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”). See: Old French 'falir', Latin 'fallō', Alemannic German 'fääle', Cimbrian 'béelan', Dutch 'falen', German, old spelling 'fallieren', Danish 'fejle', Swedish 'fallera', Spanish 'fallar'.

Verbs referencing "fail"

German, old spelling fehlen, Spanish fallar, Scots Gaelic fàillig, Luxembourgish feelen, Ido faliar, Finnish with old forms feilata.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] can say ‘Thank Heaven ! ’ she wrongs again. Before one can cry she is wrong, she seems to have started forward, and to be a creature actually running of its own accord, with broken knees and failing legs, through every variety of hole and pitfall, and stumbling constantly. Before one can so much as wonder, she takes a high leap into the air. Before she has well done that, she takes a deep [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] ale as a cure for sea-sickness; and that he took these remedies (usually in bed ) day after day, with astonishing perseverance. I may add, for the information of the curious, that they decidedly failed. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] gratuitously. Those from the adjoining state of Connecticut, or from the states of Maine, Vermont, or New Hampshire, are admitted by a warrant from the state to which they respectively belong; or, failing that, must find security among their friends, for the payment of about twenty pounds English for their first year 's board and instruction, and ten for the second. ‘After the first year, ’ say the [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • “ I 'm sure one on ’ em caved in last week, ” said Pete, “ and let ’ em all down in de middle of de singin ’; dat ar was failin ’, warnt it ? ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] secondly, because I mean to take them for a model, and to content myself with saying of others we may come to, whose design and purpose are the same, that in this or that respect they practically fail, or differ. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] and, giving two or three contemptuous snorts, flourished his heels vigorously in the air, and was soon prancing away towards the lower end of the lawn, followed by Bill and Jerry, whom Andy had not failed to let loose, according to contract, speeding them off with various direful ejaculations. And now ensued a miscellaneous scene of confusion. Sam and Andy ran and shouted,—dogs barked here and [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] youths had shed about them on the clean boards, a copious shower of yellow rain; clearing, by that means, a kind of magic circle, within whose limits no intruders dared to come, and which they never failed to refresh and re-refresh before a spot was dry. This being before breakfast, rather disposed me, I confess, to nausea; but looking attentively at one of the expectorators, I plainly saw that he [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] in every direction, fast asleep.; or grunting along in quest of hidden dainties. I had always a sneaking kindness for these odd animals, and found a constant source of amusement, when all others failed, in watching their proceedings. As we were riding along this morning, I observed a little incident between two youthful pigs, which was so very human as to be inexpressibly comical and grotesque at [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] to unite herself with their son: and she related how, for a long time, his letters had ceased to arrive; how she had written time and again, till she became weary and doubtful; how her health had failed under her anxieties, and how, at last, she had discovered the whole fraud which had been practised on them both. The letter ended with expressions of hope and thankfulness, and professions of [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] in my dressing-case. Some of the luggage, however, piled against the panels, soon settled this difficulty, and my sleep would not have been very much affected that night, I believe, though it had failed to do so. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • He can do whatever it takes to trap Abhishek. I fail to understand Varun's real problem with Abhishek. (Alibaba Aani Chalishitale Chor)
  • - Hey, what happened ? - Sir, engine has failed. (Jahaan Chaar Yaar)