FAILED Synonyms: 214 Similar and Opposite Words

failed 1 of 2

adjective

as in unsuccessful

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

as in inadequate

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

failed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of fail

as in died

to stop functioning my car failed just as I was about to head to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

started (up)

as in collapsed

to be unsuccessful despite all the publicity, the movie failed miserably at the box office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in disappointed

to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of although the minor-league franchise continues to fail local fans, hope springs eternal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in weakened

to lose bodily strength or vigor ever since she reached the age of 90, Grandma has been noticeably failing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in forgot

to miss the opportunity or obligation failed to mention that he was looking for new job

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of failed

Adjective

All his administration mustered was a late, failed effort in the summer of 2020 to remove 12,000 troops from Germany. — Jennifer Kavanagh, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026 In addition, strain sensors in the build plate arm monitor the suction forces of each layer and can detect when there’s no suction and alert you to a failed print. — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026 After about 50 more failed attempts, the Oswalt Perfect Game Attempt Counter clicked to 1,993. — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 After two failed engagements, Taylor took her final trip down the aisle in 1991. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 17 Aug. 2026 Advertisement In my case, one declared goal—even a failed one—led to another. — Adrian Gore, Time, 17 Aug. 2026 And there are opponents of that movement who point to the failed socialist governments in Latin American is proof that socialism doesn't always work. — CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026 The recent breakout above it has become a failed breakout and without another attempt very quickly, this becomes a tougher hold. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026 With this freedom comes the unique ability to absorb any costs from a failed bet, and ensure that when a bold gamble pays off, the benefits are socialised globally. — James Chen, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026

Verb

Critically, the owner of the footage failed to show any impact on the market for the footage and in fact had never licensed the footage for compensation. — Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Congress legalized home brewing in 1978 Occasional efforts in recent years to change the law failed to gain traction. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 Civilian infrastructure failed or disappeared, telecommunications broke down, and hundreds of thousands of people were stranded in what was already a relatively remote, rugged corner of the country. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 San Jose began the day in fourth place in the Western Conference after coming off a 5-1 home loss to Minnesota United and failed to gain ground on second-place Houston. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 Right before halftime, TCU had a screen schemed up for junior wide receiver Jeremy Scott on third-and-3, but Craig’s pass was so low Scott had to fall trying to make the catch and failed to get the conversion. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026 According to the petition, Viasat has failed to reach a coordination agreement with SpaceX to prevent radio interference between Starlink and the F2 satellite. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026 The department, the suit claimed, failed to investigate leads in order to protect their officers. — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 Socialism and communism have failed wherever they have been tried. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for failed

Adjective

That ability to learn may ultimately separate successful defenders from unsuccessful ones.

— Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
The five unsuccessful trials shared a condition of the test rig rather than indicating a failure of the recovery logic.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of unsuccessful

Adjective

According to the whistleblower, testing of this new system has been inadequate.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Gartner predicts that over 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled by the end of 2027, citing escalating costs, unclear business value and inadequate risk controls.

— Emily Lewis-Pinnell, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of inadequate

Verb

Jimerson and Brown, who died in 2020, were two of four people convicted of taking part in the murder and rape of 78-year-old Myrtle Holmes of Fordyce.

— Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
In the village of Bilbasovka in eastern Ukraine, a 13-year-old child and an adult died after Russian troops dropped bombs on private houses Sunday, according to local official Vadim Lyakh.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of died

Verb

The only difference is that, after this race, some of the competitors collapsed to the floor with sparks flying from their insides while safety officials charged over to attend to them with fire extinguishers.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
And since then, the government collapsed, and gang warfare has spread.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of collapsed

Verb

To attend the game in Dublin costs thousands, requires multiple days, and the decision disappointed a lot of people in the community who don’t have the money, or time, to do it.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Warsh promises 'quieter Fed' Investors were disappointed last month when Warsh promised to restore price stability but refused to offer a detailed roadmap.

— Scott Horsley, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of disappointed

Verb

Today, the yen has weakened 57% from a low of about 103 in January 2021 to a high of 163 in July, before a rare joint intervention from both Washington and Tokyo strengthened the currency to its current levels of about 160.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Sprout Social's 2026 Influencer Marketing Report found that recommendation feeds have weakened the link between follower count and reach.

— Zoe Huang, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of weakened

Verb

Kupp nearly forgot one team (Ninja UKR) before the fan pointed it out to the Super Bowl LVI Most Valuable Player.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
Fewer than 30% of Americans support a data center being built in their community and the reason why is simple; the industry forgot about consumers.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of forgot

Browse Nearby Words

fail (at)

failed

failed (at)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Failed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/failed. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of failed

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes