failed
failed — adjective
1. used before a noun to describe something that tried to work, win, exist, or be e
used before a noun to describe something that tried to work, win, exist, or be effective but did not — for example, a business that closed, a plan that produced no result, or a relationship that did not last.
Lucía sold the building of her failed bakery and moved back to her hometown.
attributive: failed [business]
After three failed attempts to climb the mountain, the team finally reached the summit.
collocation: failed attempts
Faisal still talks about his failed marriage with sadness, even ten years later.
The reporter wrote a long article about the failed peace talks between the two countries.
Élise quietly cried over her failed driving test on the bus ride home.
- unsuccessful
neutral and broader; can describe people and outcomes, used both before nouns and after linking verbs
- abortive
more formal; an effort that ended early before it could succeed
- doomed
stronger; suggests failure was certain from the start
- collapsed
stresses sudden total breakdown, especially of businesses or governments
- successful
the standard opposite for projects, attempts, and people
- thriving
stronger positive; doing very well, growing
文法句型
a failed [thing]
failed [attempt/state/business]
用法筆記
Almost always sits before the noun (attributive). Avoid using it after a linking verb — say 'the project failed' or 'the project was unsuccessful', not 'the project was failed'. Common nouns it modifies: business, attempt, marriage, state, coup, relationship, project, experiment.