definitely fail

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "definitely fail" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a strong certainty that something will not succeed. Example: "If we don't start preparing for the exam now, we will definitely fail."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

(It would be a test that I myself would definitely fail).

The New Yorker

If he took the club finesse and it lost, he would definitely fail, conceding at least one heart, three diamonds and one club.

The New York Times

Most economic empowerment initiatives today fail to look at this and definitely fail to allocate funds to women's groups or community associations to do so.

Huffington Post

The latest pronouncement from the College Board, that private corporation that makes millions devising standardized tests, reveals that its vice president for higher education, James Montoya would definitely fail the statistics section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

Huffington Post

We claim that only selected Central and Eastern European countries exhibit a configural MI but fail to show full weak MI and definitely fail to show full strong and full strict MI.

European Journal of Population

"But if one uses the data to say: 'this person can be grafted, the other cannot' - this, I believe is a problem, unless the factors reveal that the graft will definitely fail" (P15).

BMC Medical Ethics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

But it looked pretty clear that the People's Party and the left-of-centre Social Democrats, Austria's leading party for the past 13 years, had, after nine rounds of talks, definitely failed to do so.

The Economist

The increasing use of chemo- and radiotherapy and conservative surgery to preserve organs and their functions has probably led to a better quality of life in patients with laryngeal cancer, but has definitely failed to improve survival, which remains the primary aim.

European Journal of Cancer

The tool is designed to work for video calls between both fring and Skype contacts, but the new feature most definitely failed to deliver in my own personal experience at first.

TechCrunch

I definitely failed.

Huffington Post

I thought that I've definitely failed (TH).

BMC Psychiatry

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "definitely fail" to express a strong conviction that something will not succeed. It is most effective when you want to remove any ambiguity about the likelihood of a negative outcome.

Common error

Avoid using "definitely fail" when the context already implies a high probability of failure. Redundancy can weaken your writing. Instead, consider a more nuanced phrase that adds information rather than simply restating the obvious.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "definitely fail" functions as an adverbial modifier emphasizing the certainty of a negative outcome. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "definitely fail" is used to express a high degree of certainty that something will not succeed. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and acceptable in English. While alternatives like "certainly fail" or "assuredly fail" exist, "definitely fail" is useful when you want to remove any ambiguity about the likelihood of a negative outcome. Its occurrence is relatively uncommon, with usage spanning across news, science and general contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

certainly fail

Replaces "definitely" with "certainly", maintaining the strong sense of inevitability.

assuredly fail

Substitutes "definitely" with "assuredly", emphasizing the confidence in the negative outcome.

undoubtedly fail

Replaces "definitely" with "undoubtedly", highlighting the lack of doubt in the failure.

surely fail

A more concise alternative, replacing "definitely" with "surely" to indicate a high probability of failure.

inevitably fail

Focuses on the unavoidable nature of the failure, rather than the certainty of it.

without a doubt fail

Expands on "definitely" to "without a doubt", further stressing the lack of uncertainty.

positively fail

Uses "positively" to reinforce the certainty of the failure.

absolutely fail

Replaces "definitely" with "absolutely" for emphasis.

most certainly fail

Adds "most" to "certainly" for increased emphasis on the likelihood of failure.

be doomed to fail

Shifts the focus to the predetermination of failure, implying a lack of hope for success.

FAQs

How can I use "definitely fail" in a sentence?

You can use "definitely fail" to express a high degree of certainty about an unsuccessful outcome. For instance, "If you don't study, you will definitely fail the exam."

What are some alternatives to "definitely fail"?

Alternatives include "certainly fail", "assuredly fail", or "surely fail". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to use "definitely fail" or "will definitely fail"?

Both are grammatically correct, but "will definitely fail" is more explicit about the future tense. "Definitely fail" can sometimes imply a general truth or inherent tendency, while "will definitely fail" is more specific to a future event.

What's the difference between "definitely fail" and "likely to fail"?

"Definitely fail" expresses a much higher degree of certainty than "likely to fail". "Likely to fail" suggests a strong possibility, whereas "definitely fail" asserts an almost inevitable outcome.