failing

fail (someone) on (something)

To give someone a failing grade on a school assignment. You clearly put zero effort into this essay—that's why I failed you on it.
See also: fail, on

fail in (something)

1. To not have high enough grades to pass a particular class. My parents got my report card and grounded me because I'm failing in two classes.
2. To not award a student a passing grade in a particular class. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "fail" and "in." I failed you in biology because you missed so many classes this semester.
3. To not be successful in an attempt to do something. So far, I've failed in my efforts to find an internship for the summer.
See also: fail

fail of success

To not reach a goal or accomplishment. I know you worked hard on the fundraiser, so I'm really sorry to hear that you failed of success. After not making the team last year, I'm really hoping I don't fail of success this time around.
See also: fail, of, success

fail out

To have to leave a school or university because one does not have passing grades. One B won't kill you—it's not like you're going to fail out of college or something.
See also: fail, out

fail over

In a computer system, to switch automatically to a spare, backup, or alternative component when another one fails. We've put new protocols in place to ensure that the computer will fail over to functioning memory blocks in the event of a critical error.
See also: fail, over

fail the smell test

To be morally questionable, unacceptable, or untrustworthy. The new pro-drilling bill that's being put through Congress certainly fails the smell test, and many are suspicious that Big Oil has been responsible for its inception.
See also: fail, smell, test
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

fail out

v.
To be forced to leave an academic institution because of unsatisfactory grades: My cousin is failing out of law school.
See also: fail, out
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • fail (someone) on (something)
  • fail on
  • failed
  • a shot in the locker
  • buddy up
  • have done
  • have done with
  • have done with (someone or something)
  • be/have done with somebody/something
  • done with (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
April 8, 2010: Three offences failing to ensure a child attends school.
Previous convictions
Stuart Grundy, aged 32, of Woodway Lane, Woodway Park, Coventry, driving without a test certificate, failing to produce a test certificate, fined pounds 75.
Court In Brief
There's a reason why NCLB is causing so many more schools to be labeled as failing (some 26,000 schools, or one in four nationwide, failed state standards this year and face sanctions if they do so again next year).
Hire Ed: the secret to making Bush's school reform law work? More bureaucrats
The thorniest issue--the definition of a failing school--was resolved by the Big Four by late September.
Bipartisan choolmates: President Bush deserves credit for forging a consensus on federal education policy. But it will all be for naught if the law is not enforced. (Feature)
Michael Martin McCaughan, aged 23, of Pandora Road, Walsgrave, Coventry, two charges of failing to comply with a community order, community order to continue with an extra 60 hours imposed.
Court In Brief
In exchange for a significant increase in federal funding, the new law demands that failing (or "persistently unsafe") schools give parents new transfer options and cover the costs of transportation to another school.
When school choice isn't: this fall, millions of kids have the right to leave failing schools. Too bad there's nowhere else for them to go
Donald Burn, aged 72, of Sutton Avenue, Eastern Green, Coventry, being the owner of a vehicle the driver which was alleged to have been guilty of an offence and failing to identify the driver, exceeding the speed limit, fined pounds 100.
Court In Brief
Penalty for failing to maintain investor lists: The AJCA modifies the penalty for failing to maintain an investor list, by making it time sensitive.
Modified penalty for failing to maintain investor lists
The lofty goal of Title I has been to improve the basic and advanced skills of students who are at risk of failing in school.
Schoolhouse Crock
John Millar, aged 31, of Dane Road, Stoke, Coventry, driving with an incorrect licence, failing to produce a licence, using a vehicle without insurance, failing to produce a certificate of insurance, using a vehicle without a test certificate, failing to produce a test certificate, fined pounds 350 and licence endorsed.
Court In Brief
Path manager software could add dynamic pathing capabilities by identifying a failing switch or NBA and immediately shunting the data into a working path.
Path managers keep SANs on the right track: guide storage admins through a forest of network devices
The Ninth Circuit has now joined two other circuits in saying "yes." In Van Camp & Bennion, 6/6/01, the IRS assessed depositary and late-payment penalties against a law firm for failing to remit employment taxes over a three-year period.
Financial woes as reasonable cause for payroll tax nonpayment. (Procedure & Administration)
My predecessor had been forced to resign after failing nearly half his students.
Why Johnny can't fail: how the "floating standard" has destroyed public education
Daren Ian Paul Kelly, aged 32, of Lincoln Street, Foleshill, Coventry, two counts of failing to comply with a community rehabilitation order, fined pounds 20.
CourtInBrief
Applications that migrate from a failing node to a backup node may require that application's data to be available on both nodes.
Clustering Strategies For Web Environments