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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

fall flat en · VERB

Meanings

  1. To produce no humour, inspiration, etc.
    • The prop comedy in Las Vegas fell flat.
    • United were made to pay for letting an eight-point lead as little as five weeks ago slip and, despite their final-day efforts, they will look back on a season where, when they needed to step up, they fell flat. 2012 May 13, Alistair Magowan, “Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:
    • Although emotions are almost entirely absent and the comedy routinely falls flat, where Dial Of Destiny is able to succeed are the action sequences. 2023 June 28, Lauren Coates, “Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny review: Harrison Ford goes to the whip”, in AV Club:
    • And though [Terry] Border's overly punny captions fall flat for me, the images themselves exude enough delight to make it all a treat. 2011 November 20, Maria Popova, “Artist Terry Border Places Everyday Objects in Romantic Scenarios”, in The Atlantic:
    • When Sir Walter Scott, with a view to profit rather than fame, published "Paul's Letters to his Kinsfolk," with some very indifferent verses to celebrate the battle of Waterloo, Erskine, sitting at table, came out with the following impromptu:— 1847, John Campbell, 1st Baron Campbell, The Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal of England, volume VI, page 518:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
fallen flat Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
falls flat Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
fell flat Tense=Past lexicographic
falling flat Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

fall flat on one's face

Translations (10)

fi lässähtää (to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect) · hu kudarcba fullad (to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect) · hu dugába dől (to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect) · de verpuffen (to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect) · hu meghiúsul (to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect) · fr tomber à plat (to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect) · pl nie wypalić (to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect) · de scheitern (to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect) · hu csődöt mond (to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect) · hu kudarcot vall (to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect)