Failing
/ˈfeɪlɪŋ/noun
Present participle of fail; not succeeding or lacking in some required quality.
Did you know?Fail comes through Old French from Latin *fallere*, meaning “to trick, deceive, or make stumble,” so the word has always carried the energy of being led astray.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
fallere
“to deceive, cheat, trip up”
Late Latin
Latin
fallīre
“to fail, deceive”
Old French
Old French
faillir
“to fail, be lacking, misfire”
Middle English
English
failen
“to fall short, be unsuccessful”
Modern English
English
failing
“not succeeding; currently failing”