Failure

feel a failure

I feel such a failure! That’s the third time I’ve tried to pass my driving test.

criticize for failure

The government has been widely criticized for its failure to cut hospital waiting lists.

end in failure

The attempt to climb K2 without oxygen ended in failure. The climbers had to turn back when they were only three hundred metres from the summit.

blame for failure

The easy way out is to blame others for our failures. We should all face up to our own shortcomings.

admit failure

Men are often too proud to admit failure and ask for help.

put failure down

He put the failure of his business down to bad luck, not bad management.

a costly failure

The office block had cost millions, but nobody was interested in renting offices so far from the city centre. The whole enterprise was a costly failure.

a comparative failure

My older brother always did brilliantly at school and university. So, although I did quite well, I always felt a comparative failure.

total failure

The hospital simply wouldn’t listen to what we had to say about the treatment of our baby. We were frustrated by their total failure to understand the nature of our complaint.

a dismal failure

After three hours of heated discussion, we had got nowhere, so we all went home. The meeting had been a dismal failure.

a total failure

It used to be that if you hadn’t got married by the age of twenty-five. You were considered a total failure as a woman.

a complete failure

The scheme to recruit more business people into teaching never got off the ground. It was a complete failure. The pay simply wasn’t high enough toattract them.

history of failure

The health service in this country has a long history of failure.

fear of failure

Fear of failure is one of the main reasons many students don’t perform in examinations to the best of their ability.

risk of failure

I have to admit there is a slight risk of failure with this type of operation. It’s only about 5%, but it’s still a risk.

catalogue of failure

Sir Michael’s time as Minister has just been one long catalogue of failures.

sense of failure

It’s very important not  to give children a sense of failure.

crop failure

A series of crop failures has led to widespread famine.

power failure

It was a power failure which plunged the town into darkness last night.

heart failure

She died of heart failure.

business failure

The decline in the economy led to an increase in business failures of over 50% last year.

 

Notes

• In ‘The attempt to climb K2 without oxygen ended in failure. The climbers had to turn back when they were only three hundred metres from the summit.’ ‘resulted in’ is also possible.
• Note the underlined expressions:

The attempt to save the men trapped on board the submarine was doomed to failure right from the start. Frank is still coming to terms with the failure of his marriage.

• Accidents are often caused by ‘mechanical failure’ of some kind:

The official report on the rail crash blamed mechanical failure as the main cause of the accident.

• Note the presentation in this expression:

My father was a complete failure as a salesman.