fail Copy link Outline A. Intrans.I. To be or become wanting1. dēfĭcio, fēci, fectum, 32. dēfīo, factus, fĭĕri (infrequent)II. To fail in or of; i. e. to neglect (q. v.)III. To be unsuccessful1. cădo, cĕcĭdi, cāsum, 32. concĭdo, ĭdi, 33. cēdo, cessi, cessum, 3 (impers.; with some adv. such as male, secus, etc.)4. offendo, di, sum, 3 (esp. to f. in court, be non-suited)5. expr. by irrĭtus (of what is fruitless, abortive)IV. To become insolventB. Trans.1. dēfĭcio (with acc. and sometimes dat.; very rarely with personal subject)2. dēfīo (infrequent; with dat.)3. dēsĕro, ui, rtum, 3 (strictly to abandon, q. v.4. destĭtuo, i, ūtum, 3 (with acc.) • fail: A. Intrans.: I. To be or become wanting: 1. dēfĭcio, fēci, fectum, 3: corn could not f., non frumentum d. poterat, Caes.: I should fear lest my voice and strength should f., vererer ne vox viresque deficerent, Cic.: memory f.s, memoria d., Cic. 2. dēfīo, factus, fĭĕri (infrequent): let food neither f. nor be in excess, neque opsonium defiat, neque supersit, Pl. II. To fail in or of; i. e. to neglect (q. v.): dēsum, fui, esse (with dat.): I will not f. of my duty, non deero officio, Cic. Phr.: to f. in one's duty, in officio labi, Cic.; delinquere aliquid, delictum in se admittere, Cic.: Ter. III. To be unsuccessful: 1. cădo, cĕcĭdi, cāsum, 3: to f. in a lawsuit, causâ c., Cic.: careless whether his play f. or succeed, securus cadat an stet fabula, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 176: also with ad irritum: the hope (of Tarquinius) f.ing, ad irr. cadens spes, Liv. 2, 6, init. 2. concĭdo, ĭdi, 3: bad causes he always gained, in the best of all he f.'d, malas causas semper obtinuit, in optima concidit, Cic. Att. 7, 25. 3. cēdo, cessi, cessum, 3 (impers.; with some adv. such as male, secus, etc.): if aught had f.'d, i. e., gone ill with him, si male cesserat, Hor.: Suet. 4. offendo, di, sum, 3 (esp. to f. in court, be non-suited): apud judices o., Cic. Clu. 23, 63: many brave men have often f.'d in the uncertain hazard of war, multi fortes in incerto periculo belli saepe offenderunt, Cic. Verr. 5, 50, 131. 5. expr. by irrĭtus (of what is fruitless, abortive): the hope (had) f.'d, spes ad (al. in) irritum redacta, Liv. 28, 31, init.: cf. supr. (1). Later authors have irritus with gen.: having f.'d in his mission, irritus legationis, Tac. H. 4, 32, extr. IV. To become insolvent: rationes conturbare, foro cedere: v. bankrupt. B. Trans.: to desert, disappoint (q. v.): 1. dēfĭcio (with acc. and sometimes dat.; very rarely with personal subject): time, voice, lungs, f. me, me dies, vox, latera d., Cic.: not only strength but also weapons f.'d our men, non solum vires sed etiam tela nostris deficiebant, Caes. 2. dēfīo (infrequent; with dat.): new milk f.s me not either in summer or in winter, lac mihi non aestate novum non frigore defit, Virg.: faith! fortune it is f.s me now, pol! mihi fortuna nunc defit! Enn. ap. Cic. 3. dēsĕro, ui, rtum, 3 (strictly to abandon, q. v.: with acc.): the lamp f.s me, lucerna me d., Cic.: his knees f. this runner, genua hunc cursorem d., Pl. 4. destĭtuo, i, ūtum, 3 (with acc.): the wind f.'d him, ventus eum destituit, Liv.: his memory f.s him, memoria eum d., Curt. Also used absolutely: all that depends on the good will of Philip; if he f. us, etc., totum id vertitur in voluntate Philippi; si is destituat ..., Liv. 37, 7, med.: if hope should f., si spes destituat, Liv. 1, 41, ad init.
FAIL Copy link • FAIL 1. (a) With reference to insufficient supply, diminished intensity, etc., deesse (to be wanting said of something, the absence of which renders the thing incomplete; alicui or alicui rei, and absolutely; it is also used in the sense of failing anybody = not assisting him, not performing him an expected service; deesse alicui, reipublicae, amicis, occasioni temporis, etc.): deficere (to begin to fail; deficere, of a commencing, deesse, of a completed state; deficere alicui or aliquem, or, very commonly, absolutely; fides, tempus, voces, vires deficiunt aliquem [vires deficiunt alicui, Caes.]; materia, frumentum, etc., deficere; (1) also in the sense of anybody’s courage fails, aliquis animo deficit or deficit only: ☞ and (2) of a bankrupt, defici facultatibus, defectum esse facultatibus, Ulp., ☞ Defici aliqua re is also used; e.g. mulier abundat oratione, consilio et ratione deficitur, Cic.): aliquid mihi non suppetit (no adequate supply of it is present): deminui (to be diminished; of strength, etc. ☞ Not diminui): minui: minuere (to lessen; on the intransitive use of minuere, Vid: Herz. ad Caes.., B.G., 3, 12): cessare (not to manifest itself, etc.; very seldom not prae-Augustin; e.g., cessat voluntas, Hor.): hebescere (to grow dull; of one’s sight, spirit, etc.): senescere (to grow old and so weaker, of persons or things): inclinari (to turn, and so depart from the highest point; also, timore inclinatur aliquis, anybody’s courage fails): infirmari (to be weakened; e.g., fides testis infirmatur, a witness fails in his cross-examination): siccari (to be dried up; e.g. fontes; fluvii, both Ov.): arescere siccitate (also of fountains, but IMPROP.; Auct., ad Herenn., 4, 6, fin.). My strength fails, viribus deficior or senesco; vires extenuantur, deficiunt: memory fails, memoria labat, minuitur; deficior memoria: anybody’s hope fails, extenuatur alicujus spes et evanescit (Cic.): my hope of anything fails, alicujus rei spes mihi discedit. His left eye failed him when he grew old, aliquis in senecta sinistro oculo minus vidit (Suet., Oct., 79). (β) With reference to non-fulfilment of anything, non-performance of what was expected or hoped, etc. To fail, ad or in irritum cadere (to come to nothing); ad irritum redigi (both of hopes, etc.): propositum non assequi; fine excidere (to fail of one’s object): errare: labi (in aliqua re: to commit a fault): to fail disgracefully, turpissime labi in aliqua re. He would not pursue an object when there was a possibility of his failing, spem infinitam persequi noluit. To fail a friend, amico deesse; amicum destituere, etc. [Vid: ABANDON.] To fail in the performance of a duty, officio deesse or non satisfacere: not to fail in the performance of any duty, nullam partem officii deserere; toward anybody, nullum munus officii alicui reliquum facere. I have never failed you in the performance of kind offices, tibi nullum a me pietatis officium defuit: not to fail in attention, diligence, etc., nihil de diligentia sua remittere. I will not fail you, non deero (will not withdraw my assistance); in me non erit mora (no delay, hinderance, etc., shall be caused by me). (γ) To become bankrupt [Vid. BANKRUPT, and Remark on deficere above]. (δ) Followed by infinitive. Not to fail to do anything, non remittere aliquid facere (of never neglecting a precaution one has once adopted, etc., neque remittit, quid ubique hostis ageret, explorare, Sall.): recipio tibi (vobis, etc.) me aliquid facturum esse (I undertake to do it). Anything cannot fail to, etc. [Vid: “anything MUST.”] Anybody fails to perform his promises, non exsolvit aliquis, quod promiserat; aliquis promissum non praestat; fidem non persolvit; fidem suam non liberat. 2. s. frustratio (want of success; Quint., 2, 3). Without fail, sine frustratione (without ever being unsuccessful; Quint., ib.); but mostly by adverbs meaning CERTAINLY, Vid.