to be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence; to cease to be furnished in the usual or expected manner, or to be altogether cut off from supply; to be lacking; as, streams fail; crops fail.-to be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; -- used with of.-to fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink.-to deteriorate in respect to vigor, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker; as, a sick man fails.-to perish; to die; -- used of a person.-to be found wanting with respect to an action or a duty to be performed, a result to be secured, etc.; to miss; not to fulfill expectation.-to come short of a result or object aimed at or desired ; to be baffled or frusrated.-to err in judgment; to be mistaken.-to become unable to meet one's engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent.-to be wanting to ; to be insufficient for; to disappoint; to desert.-to miss of attaining; to lose.-miscarriage; failure; deficiency; fault; -- mostly superseded by failure or failing, except in the phrase without fail.-death; decease.