English idioms related to Failure

English idioms related to Failure - Defeat

school icon21 Words
11 min
dead loss
noun
a situation or activity that is not productive
1
to come to grief
phrase
to have an undesirable, unfortunate, or disappointing outcome
2
out of the running
phrase
with no chance of succeeding in a competition
3
wide of / off the mark
phrase
far from the correct or expected result
4
comedy of errors
phrase
a situation or series of events that is marked by a sequence of humorous mistakes, mishaps, or misunderstandings
5
dog days
noun
a period of hardship, struggle, or adversity
6
to miss the boat / bus
phrase
to lose the chance to take advantage of something, particularly a good opportunity
7
dead man walking
phrase
someone who is prone to lose something that is of great value or importance to them, such as their position, job, title, etc.
8
dead duck
noun
someone or something that has never succeeded or is very unlikely to succeed in the future
9
to come a cropper
phrase
to suddenly fail at something
10
dead end
noun
a situation that shows no signs of progress or improvement
11
dead in the water
phrase
used to describe a situation or plan that has come to a complete halt or has become unproductive, with little to no chance of progress or success
12
to pass one's sell-by date
phrase
to be no longer effective or of much use
13
down for the count
phrase
having failed in doing or achieving something and unable to continue
14
to go / come down in the world
phrase
to experience a fall in social or financial status
15
yesterday's man / woman
phrase
someone who was once significant or important but is now considered outdated or no longer influential
16
to draw a blank
phrase
to be unable to come up with ideas or solutions to a problem
17
the writing is on the wall
sentence
used to say that there are clear indications or signals that something negative or disastrous is going to happen soon, and that it is likely to be unavoidable
18
to take sb to the cleaners
phrase
to defeat a person or a group thoroughly or in a very humiliating way
19
wooden spoon
noun
an imaginary or symbolic prize given to the person who finishes in last place or performs poorly in a competition or event
20
to knock sb off one's feet
phrase
to overwhelm or defeat someone completely and unexpectedly
21
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