failing

• acting up
• blemish
• blind spot
• blot
• bombing
• breaking
• breaking down
• chagrining
• cheating
• collapsing
• coming a cropper
• coming to grief
• coming up empty
• corruption
• crashing
• cratering
• crumbling
• cutting out
• debased
• debauched
• debilitated
• decadent
• decayed
• decaying
• deceiving
• declining
• defaulting
• defeated
• defect
• deficiency
• deficient
• degenerate
• degenerating
• degraded
• deluding
• demerit
• demoralized
• depraved
• depravity
• dereliction
• deteriorating
• disappointing
• discontenting
• disenchanting
• disgruntling
• disillusioning
• displeasing
• disregarding
• dissatisfying
• dissipated
• dissolute
• distressing
• drawback
• drooping
• dying
• dying on the vine
• effete
• emaciating
• enervate
• enervated
• enfeebled
• error
• evil
• fading
• failure
• faint
• falling flat
• falling short
• fault
• feeble
• feet of clay
• fizzling
• flagging
• flaming out
• flaw
• flopping
• floundering
• flunking
• foible
• folding
• forgetting
• foundering
• frail
• frailty
• giving out
• going
• going under
• ignoring
• immoral
• immorality
• imperfection
• imploding
• inadequate
• infirmity
• insufficient
• jamming
• lagging
• languid
• languishing
• laying an egg
• letting down
• malfunctioning
• minus
• miscarriage
• miscarrying
• misfiring
• misfortune
• missing
• missing out on
• mocking
• neglecting
• nit
• omitting
• overlooking
• overpassing
• overrefined
• overripe
• passing over
• precious
• pretermitting
• rotting
• running down
• sagging
• sapped
• scant
• scanty
• scarce
• self-destructing
• short
• shortcoming
• shy
• sin
• sinfulness
• sinking
• skidding
• skipping
• sliding
• slighting
• slipping
• slumping
• soft
• soft spot
• spot
• sputtering
• stain
• stalling
• striking out
• struggling
• tanking
• unavailing
• unprosperous
• unsuccessful
• unsufficient
• unthriving
• upsetting
• vain
• vice
• waning
• want
• wanting
• washed-up
• washing out
• wasted
• weak
• weak point
• weakened
• weakening
• weakness
• wearing out
• wheezing
• wickedness
• wilting
• wimpy
• withering
• yielding

• OK
• adequate
• advantage
• benefit
• carrying out
• clicking
• coming off
• contenting
• convalescing
• cooking
• delivering
• discharging
• doing
• enough
• excellence
• executing
• flourishing
• fulfilling
• gaining
• gladdening
• going
• going over
• goodness
• gratifying
• healthy
• heeding
• integrity
• keeping
• meeting
• merit
• minding
• morality
• observing
• panning out
• perfection
• performing
• practicing
• practising
• prevailing
• probity
• prospering
• rallying
• rebounding
• recovering
• rectitude
• recuperating
• remembering
• righteousness
• satisfying
• strength
• strong
• strong point
• succeeding
• sufficient
• thriving
• triumphing
• undecadent
• virtue
• well
• winning
• working out

• verb
  1. To be unsuccessful.
  2. Not to achieve a particular stated goal. (Usage note: The direct object of this word is usually an infinitive.).
  3. To neglect.
  4. Of a machine, etc.: to cease to operate correctly.
  5. To be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert.
  6. To receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits.
  7. To give a student a non-passing grade in an academic endeavour.
  8. To miss attaining; to lose.
  9. To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence.
  10. To be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; used with of.
  11. To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink.
  12. To deteriorate in respect to vigour, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker.
  13. To perish; to die; used of a person.
  14. To err in judgment; to be mistaken.
  15. 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.
• noun
  1. Weakness; defect.
• preposition
  1. If the preferred or prior option is not possible.

• Despite his best efforts, he couldn't overcome his failing health.
• The teacher noticed a failing in the student's understanding of basic math concepts.
• The team's failing morale affected their performance on the field.
• One failing of the current system is its inability to adapt to changing circumstances.
• She attributed her failing grades to a lack of motivation and focus.

daintiness

ebbing

gaff

lacuna

sagging

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