wholly failed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "wholly failed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a complete or total failure in a particular context or situation. Example: "The project was intended to revolutionize the industry, but it wholly failed to meet any of its objectives."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

He added: "He wholly failed to deliver".

Independent

But attempts to eliminate the supposed enemy have wholly failed.

Independent

The US has fought two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past decade in which it wholly failed to achieve its aims.

Independent

The Gallery is notable both for its gayness and for the fact that the media, at least at first, wholly failed to acknowledge this about the book.

The Guardian - Opinion

"There need to be third country options found for those on Nauru and Manus, and in that the government has wholly failed," he said.

The Guardian

The panel had "wholly failed to consider" that if Blockley alone had been responsible for passing inside information, it would "not expect to see any remuneration for Mr McKeown".

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Unhappily for Mr Miliband, though that summary is accurate enough, it also wholly fails to convey how this 6000 word clunker of a speech came across in reality.

The Economist

Pinker first sets up what is probably a false opposition (public success and empathy are not in fact mutually exclusive) and then wholly fails to account for high-profile women such as Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton or all the women who are running companies and law firms.

The Guardian - Books

"While it is indeed the case that every parent at some time or other may fail in this regard, the present case is totally outside the norm in that, most sadly, this mother as a parent largely lacks the ability to be in tune with her children's needs from day to day or minute to minute to the extent that she wholly fails, across the board, to establish a safe structure to regulate their behaviour".

The Guardian

However, for wide-bandwidth signals, the Doppler approximation wholly fails since the composite signals experience different Doppler shifts.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Mele (2009) and O'Connor (2009b) argue that the data adduced by Libet, Wegner, and others wholly fail to support their revisionary conclusions.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "wholly failed" to emphasize a complete lack of success, particularly when previous attempts were made or expectations were high.

Common error

Avoid using "wholly failed" in casual conversation or informal writing. It can sound overly dramatic or stilted in such settings. Simpler alternatives like "didn't work" or "failed completely" are often more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "wholly failed" functions as a verb phrase, typically used as a predicate to express a complete lack of success or achievement. Ludwig AI confirms that it correctly conveys the meaning of total failure. See Ludwig for examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Science

15%

Encyclopedias

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "wholly failed" is a grammatically sound and commonly used verb phrase to denote complete and utter lack of success. Ludwig AI validates its correctness and usability, indicating that it clearly conveys the meaning of total failure. While versatile, it leans toward formal and professional contexts, commonly appearing in news, media and scientific writing. Alternative options include "completely failed" or "utterly failed" depending on the desired level of emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

completely failed

Replaces "wholly" with "completely", emphasizing the totality of the failure.

utterly failed

Uses "utterly" instead of "wholly" to indicate a complete and undeniable failure.

totally failed

Substitutes "wholly" with "totally", highlighting the full extent of the failure.

entirely failed

Replaces "wholly" with "entirely", stressing the all-encompassing nature of the failure.

absolutely failed

Emphasizes the completeness of the failure with "absolutely" instead of "wholly".

flatly failed

Suggests a direct and decisive failure, replacing "wholly" with "flatly".

unequivocally failed

Uses "unequivocally" to denote a clear and undeniable failure, instead of "wholly".

proven unsuccessful

Shifts the phrasing to a more descriptive term, indicating a lack of success.

came to nothing

Expresses failure through a lack of result or outcome.

fell flat

Uses an idiomatic expression to describe a failed attempt or outcome.

FAQs

How can I use "wholly failed" in a sentence?

You can use "wholly failed" to describe something that has completely not succeeded, like "The company's new marketing strategy "wholly failed" to attract new customers".

What are some alternatives to "wholly failed"?

Alternatives include "completely failed", "utterly failed", or "totally failed". The choice depends on the desired emphasis and context.

Is it better to say "completely failed" or "wholly failed"?

"Completely failed" and "wholly failed" are largely interchangeable, but "wholly failed" may sound more formal or emphatic. Use the one that best fits the tone of your writing.

What's the difference between "failed" and "wholly failed"?

"Failed" simply indicates a lack of success. "Wholly failed" emphasizes that the failure was complete and without any redeeming qualities. It suggests a more comprehensive lack of achievement.