What does failed mean?
Failed is the past tense and past participle of the verb fail, meaning that someone or something did not succeed in an endeavor, meet an obligation, or perform as expected. It covers everything from a person who failed an examination to a machine whose engine failed mid-flight, a company that failed financially, or a diplomatic initiative that failed to win support. It also functions as an adjective placed before nouns, describing things marked by lack of success: a failed attempt, a failed marriage, a failed crop, or in political science, a failed state whose institutions have collapsed. The word carries a neutral-to-negative connotation, simply recording non-success without necessarily implying blame, though context often colors it with disappointment or judgment. Derived ultimately from the Latin fallere, meaning to deceive or disappoint, failed is among the most widely used words for expressing outcomes that fell short of their aim, making it essential vocabulary for discussing setbacks across personal, professional, and public life.
Past tense and past participle of fail: did not succeed in an undertaking, did not pass a test, or ceased to function properly.
"She failed her driving test twice before passing."
Used both transitively ("the plan failed him") and intransitively ("he failed").
Having been unsuccessful; having come to nothing or broken down.
"The rebels launched a failed coup against the government."
Almost always used attributively, directly before the noun it modifies.
"Fail" comes from the Latin fallere — to deceive — so every time something fails, language quietly remembers that it tricked you first.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of failed
Failed derives from the Old French faillir and ultimately from the Latin fallere, meaning to deceive, disappoint, or prove untrue. English adopted fail in the Middle Ages, likely through Anglo-French, and its past form failed followed standard verb inflection. The same Latin root produced cognates such as fallible, infallible, and fallacy, all preserving the sense of being prone to error or deception, while fault came through a related Vulgar Latin development.
Related word forms
How failed is actually used
As an adjective, "failed" typically appears attributively before a noun (a failed coup, a failed harvest) rather than predicatively. In political journalism, "failed state" is a fixed technical term for a country whose government has lost effective control.
Easily confused with failed
"Felled" is the past tense of "fell," meaning to cut down a tree, while "failed" means to be unsuccessful.