Fizzle
/ˈfɪz.əl/noun
To make a weak, sputtering sound or to fail gradually after a promising start.
Did you know?“Fizzle” is an expressive English word that emerged in the 16th century to imitate a soft hissing or sputtering sound, and it later took on the eerie meaning of a plan or force that dies out before completion.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
fisselen
“To make a gentle hissing or sputtering sound”
Early Modern English
English
fizzle
“An imitative word for a soft sputter or hiss”
18th Century
English
fizzle
“A weak bursting or sputtering sound”
19th Century
English
fizzle
“To come to nothing; to fail gradually”
Modern English
English
fizzle
“To sputter out or fail after a promising start”