fail

[/feɪl/]

verb/nounN/A (verb); masculine (noun)pl: N/A (verb); fails (noun)

falhar; fracassar

1. (verb) to not succeed in achieving a goal or passing a test

He failed the exam because he didn't study.

Ele falhou no exame porque não estudou.

2. (verb) to stop working or functioning properly

The engine failed during the flight.

O motor falhou durante o voo.

3. (verb) to not meet expectations or requirements

The restaurant failed health inspection.

O restaurante não passou na inspeção de saúde.

4. (noun) an instance of failing or lack of success

The project was a complete fail.

O projeto foi um fracasso completo.

NYC Slang

bomb; choke; tank; flop

Synonyms

Antonyms

Regional Variations

General Brazilian

falhar; fracassar; reprovar

Most common usage throughout Brazil

Rio de Janeiro

falhar; dar ruim

Colloquial: 'dar ruim' for informal contexts

São Paulo

falhar; não passar

Standard usage, 'não passar' common in academic contexts

Portugal

falhar; reprovar; malograr

'Malograr' more literary; 'reprovar' used in academic settings

fail to do something (não conseguir fazer algo)

without fail (sem falta; infalivelmente)

fail an exam (falhar/reprovar num exame)

fail someone (deixar alguém na mão)

system failure (falha do sistema)

Look up more words on Fala2Me

The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more