► 動詞
落ちる [(2)おちる] [coll] meaning: fail rank: 1
☆ 彼は運転免許試験に二回続けて落ちた ⇨ He failed the driving license exam twice in a row (☛ Fail exams)
傾く [(3)かたむく] [coll] meaning: fail rank: 1
☆ 会社は傾いている ⇨ The company (business) is leaning, listing, failing (☛ Usually about organizations)
失敗 [しっぱい] [失敗する] meaning: fail rank: 1
☆ ロケットの打ち上げは失敗した ⇨ The rocket launch failed
☆ 彼は事業に失敗した ⇨ He failed with his business
倒れる [(3)たおれる] [coll] meaning: fail rank: 1
☆ 会社が倒れた ⇨ The company failed, went bankrupt
潰れる [つぶれる] meaning: fail rank: 1
☆ 会社は潰れた ⇨ The company has gone bankrupt
残す [(2)のこす] meaning: fail rank: 1
☆ 塗り残した所があったのに気付かなかった ⇨ I didn’t realize that there is a spot I failed, forgot, to paint
落っこちる [(4)おっこちる] [coll] meaning: fail rank: 2
☆ 彼は大学入試に落っこちた ⇨ He failed his college entrance exam (☛ Fail exams)
こける [こける] [coll] [peer] meaning: fail rank: 2
☆ 商売がこけた ⇨ The business failed, went kaput
挫折 [ざせつ] [挫折する] [liter] meaning: fail rank: 2
☆ 人生には挫折しなければ学べないことがある ⇨ There are things you cannot learn in life unless you fail (☛ To fail in one’s life ambition)
滑る [(2)すべる] [coll] meaning: fail rank: 2
☆ 彼はまた司法試験に滑った ⇨ He failed the bar exam again (☛ Fail to pass a certification or qualification exam)
損なう [(3)そこなう] meaning: fail rank: 2
☆ 折角の料理を食べ損なった ⇨ I didn’t get to eat the specially prepared food
☆ 私は肝心の問題について彼に聞き損なった ⇨ I failed to ask him about the most important issue
☆ 遅れて行ったら景品をもらい損ねた ⇨ I got there late and failed to get a free gift
そびれる [(3)そびれる] meaning: fail rank: 2
☆ 景品を貰いそびれた ⇨ I wasn’t able to get a freebie
☆ その事を彼に聞きそびれた ⇨ I wasn’t able to ask him about that (☛ Fail to do something, often for a reason out of the speaker’s control)
行き詰まる [(4)ゆきづまる] meaning: fail rank: 2
☆ 彼の事業は行き詰まった ⇨ His business has reached a dead end, gone bankrupt
燻る [(3)くすぶる] [coll] meaning: fail rank: 3
☆ 彼は二軍でくすぶっている ⇨ He is struggling in the minor league (☛ Often indicates someone is failing to be successful because he is not very motivated)
仕損なう [(4)しそこなう] meaning: fail rank: 3
☆
攻め倦む [(4)せめあぐむ] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 私達は相手の守備を攻めあぐんだ ⇨ We struggled to break down their defense
損じる [(3)そんじる] [liter] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 急いては事を仕損じる ⇨ If you hurry you will make mistakes (☛ A common saying)
潰える [(3)ついえる] [liter] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 逆転の望みは潰えた ⇨ The hope for a comeback win has ended
頓挫 [とんざ] [頓挫する] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 計画は資金不足で頓挫した ⇨ The project stalled, failed, due to a lack of fund
凡退 [ぼんたい] [凡退する] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 彼は満塁で凡退した ⇨ He was at bat with bases loaded but was retired (☛ Baseball hitters to fail)
罷り間違う [(6)まかりまちがう] [liter] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ まかり間違えば大惨事になる ⇨ In the worst case it could be a huge disaster
☆ まかり間違っても ⇨
遣り損なう [(5)やりそこなう] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 彼は大事な仕事をやり損なった ⇨ He screwed up an important job
落第 [らくだい] [落第する] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 彼は学校で落第した ⇨ He failed to advance to the next grade in school (☛ Fail to advance to the next grade in school)
► 成句
涙 [(1)なみだ] [涙を呑む] [liter] meaning: fail rank: 3
☆ 彼女は三年連続で決勝戦で涙を呑んだ (なみだをのんだ) ⇨ She swallowed bitter tears, lost, failed, three years in a row in the finals
上がったり [(4)あがったり] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ コロナ禍で商売上がったりだ ⇨ My business has gone belly up because of COVID (☛ Business to fail, typically due to a factor you cannot control)
► 名詞
失敗 [しっぱい] meaning: fail rank: 1
☆ ロケットの打ち上げは失敗に終わった ⇨ The rocket launch ended as a failure
挫折 [ざせつ] [liter] meaning: fail rank: 2
☆ 彼は人生で挫折を経験したことが無い ⇨ He has never experienced failure in his life (☛ To fail in one’s life ambition)
不合格 [(2)ふごうかく] meaning: fail rank: 2
☆ 彼は運転免許試験で不合格になった ⇨ He failed his driving license test (☛ Fail to qualify)
がた [(2)がた] [ガタが来る] [coll] meaning: fail rank: 3
☆ 同じ車に二十万キロ乗ったら流石にガタが来た ⇨ I drove the same car for 200K kms and it finally broke down
不成功 [(2)ふせいこう] meaning: fail rank: 3
☆ ロケット打上げは不成功に終わった ⇨ The rocket launch ended in a failure
不全 [ふぜん] [liter] meaning: fail rank: 3
☆ 彼は心不全で死亡した ⇨ He died of heart failure
不発 [ふはつ] meaning: fail rank: 3
☆ 教育改革は不発に終わった ⇨ The restructuring of the educational system misfired, didn’t yield any results
不履行 [(2)ふりこう] [tech] meaning: fail rank: 3
☆ 契約の不履行 ⇨ A non-performance of a contract
赤点 [あかてん] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 試験で赤点を取ってしまった ⇨ I got an F for the exam
蹉跌 [さてつ] [liter] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 彼は人生で蹉跌を経験したことがない ⇨ He has never experienced failure in life
共倒れ [ともだおれ] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ このまま戦争を続ければ両国とも共倒れになる ⇨ If they continue the war, both countries will collapse
不覚 [ふかく] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 彼等は格下の敵に不覚を取った ⇨ They dropped a game against a big underdog (☛ Underperform, because of lack of focus)
凡退 [ぼんたい] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 彼は満塁で凡退に終わった ⇨ He was at bat with bases loaded but was retired (☛ Baseball hitters to fail)
物別れ [(3)ものわかれ] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 交渉は物別れに終わった ⇨ The negotiation broke down
落第生 [(3)らくだいせい] meaning: fail rank: 4
☆ 彼は人生の落第生だ ⇨ He is a failure in life (☛ A student who failed to advance to the next grade)
► 形容動詞
駄目 [(2)だめ] [駄目になる] [coll] meaning: fail rank: 1
☆ 計画は駄目になった ⇨ The project failed, canceled
► 接尾辞
倒れ [(1)だおれ] meaning: fail rank: 3
☆ 新製品は企画倒れに終わった ⇨ The new product was a plan that fell, all hype but no execution (☛ Sarcastic)
倒れ [(1)だおれ] [看板倒れ] meaning: fail rank: 3
☆ 政治改革は看板倒れに終わった ⇨ The political reform was a signboard that fell, all show and no substance (☛ Sarcastic)