failure
Related to failure: failure to thrive
abysmal failure
Failure that is total and extreme in measure or implication. The business was an abysmal failure, and everyone was out of a job within a month.
See also: failure
failure teaches success
proverb Failure gives one the opportunity to learn and improve in a positive way. I know you're bummed that the experiment didn't work, but let's try again. Failure teaches success after all, and now we know what not to do. I'm a big believer that failure teaches success, so we can't give up now!
See also: failure, success, teach
failure to thrive
A medical term used to describe an infant or young child who has experienced delays in physical growth, for a variety of possible reasons. I'm a bit concerned about little Howie's failure to thrive, so I want you to bring him back the office next week for further examination.
See also: failure, thrive
give (one) heart failure
To shock, frighten, or upset someone suddenly and to an extreme degree. Often used with "nearly," "almost," or some similar modifier. Adrian almost gave his parents heart failure when he told them he was dropping out of college. You about gave me heart failure, sneaking up on me like that!
See also: failure, give, heart
have heart failure
To be shocked, frightened, or upset suddenly and to an extreme degree. Often used with "nearly," "almost," or some similar modifier. Adrian's parents almost had heart failure when he told them he was dropping out of college. I just about had heart failure when you snuck up on me like that!
See also: failure, have, heart
success has many fathers, failure is an orphan
People are quick to associate themselves with successful ventures and distance themselves from failures. A: "All the people who were so excited about this project in the beginning now act like they've never even heard of it." B: "Well, success has many fathers, failure is an orphan."
See also: failure, many, success
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
give someone heart failure
Frighten or startle someone very much, as in You nearly gave me heart failure when you told me you were quitting. It is also put as have heart failure, meaning "be frightened or startled," as in I just about had heart failure when I heard about her accident. These hyperbolic terms allude to the life-threatening physical condition in which the heart fails to pump blood at an adequate rate or stops altogether. Also see heart misses a beat.
See also: failure, give, heart, someone
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- abysmal failure
- all duck or no dinner
- into the shitter
- the bigger they are, the harder they fall
- the bigger they come, the harder they fall
- the bigger they come/are, the harder they fall
- bigger they are, the harder they fall
- bigger they come, the harder they fall, the
- bring (something) (down) about (one's) ears
- bring something about your ears