fail to succeed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fail to succeed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where someone or something does not achieve the desired outcome or goal. Example: "Despite their best efforts, the team seemed to fail to succeed in meeting the project deadline."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

What had once been fun, changed overnight: "Now there was expectation – to fail, to succeed, to come through to the other side".

The Guardian - Film

But I was the one who'd lacked the guts — to fail, to succeed, to engage with the whole undignified, insane attempt at originality.

The New Yorker

No one benefits from their struggles, and if they fail to succeed at becoming self-supporting adults, we will all pay for that failure, although none so much as the children themselves.

The New York Times

So I'll offer a caveat to this week's quiz: if you are prone to a decrease in emotional health when you fail to succeed, you may not wish to go forward.

The New Yorker

And further, isn't this skepticism vulnerable to the following simple refutation: take any expression in any poem and introduce by fiat a new expression to mean exactly what the first one does; how could this practice fail to succeed at paraphrase or translation?

The New York Times

"Multiculturalism cannot fail to succeed It's not in the gift of a politician to proceed With its termination It's not your creation It's in our blood and in our bones You can't create multicultural free zones It's on our airwaves and in our streets".

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

"If the company fails to succeed, it will be because management failed, not because the people out there building these projects failed," Mr. Hanks said.

The New York Times

One obese middle-aged woman who had failed to succeed with a range of diets learned her blood sugar levels spiked after eating tomatoes.

Independent

She has been dogged by rumours that her record company, Innocent, was close to dropping her after her latest album failed to succeed like her early singles.

The Guardian

With important local government elections due in the autumn, analysts say, Law and Justice is trying to recover its popularity after its candidate, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, failed to succeed his brother as president in the presidential race in May.

The New York Times

Lord Heseltine, the former deputy prime minister, who tried and failed to succeed Margaret Thatcher in 1990 after years of plotting, once said: "He who wields the knife never wears the crown".

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "fail to succeed", ensure the context clearly implies an attempt was made. It emphasizes the unsuccessful nature of an endeavor after effort has been exerted.

Common error

While grammatically sound, consistently using "fail to succeed" can make writing sound repetitive. Vary your language by using alternatives like "not achieve success" or "fall short of expectations" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fail to succeed" functions as a verbal phrase expressing a lack of achievement or attainment of a desired outcome after an attempt. Ludwig AI highlights that it describes the opposite of success, often implying effort exerted without a positive result.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "fail to succeed" is grammatically correct and commonly used to describe situations where efforts do not lead to success. According to Ludwig AI, it's most frequent in News & Media and Scientific contexts. While appropriate for a wide range of registers, varying your language with alternatives like "not achieve success" or "fall short of success" can enhance writing. Remember, "fail to succeed" emphasizes the lack of positive results after an attempt has been made.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not achieve success

Focuses on the absence of success rather than the attempt and failure.

fall short of success

Emphasizes the idea of not reaching a specific target or expectation.

be unsuccessful

A more general term indicating a lack of positive results.

prove fruitless

Suggests that efforts made did not yield any valuable outcome or result.

come to nothing

Implies a complete lack of positive results after a period of activity.

not make the grade

An idiomatic expression indicating a failure to meet required standards.

miss the mark

Suggests an attempt was made, but the intended target was not reached.

be in vain

Highlights the futility of an action or effort.

suffer failure

Emphasizes the experience of failure as a negative event.

be defeated

Suggests that failure happened because of an external force that beats you.

FAQs

How can I use "fail to succeed" in a sentence?

You can use "fail to succeed" to describe situations where an effort does not produce the desired outcome. For example, "Despite their preparations, they seemed to "fail to succeed" in winning the competition".

What are some alternatives to "fail to succeed"?

Alternatives include phrases like "not achieve success", "fall short of success", or simply "be unsuccessful", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to say "did not succeed" or "failed to succeed"?

"Failed to succeed" implies an expectation or attempt that was not met, while "did not succeed" is a more neutral statement. The choice depends on whether you want to emphasize the element of effort or expectation.

How does "fail to succeed" differ from "succeed in failing"?

"Fail to succeed" means not achieving a positive outcome, whereas "succeed in failing" implies accomplishing failure, often intentionally or ironically. The former is about unmet goals, the latter about achieving negative results.