fall flat on one's face en · VERB
Meanings
-
(literally) To fall headlong forwards, notionally hitting one's face on the ground.
I tripped over my shoelace and fell flat on my face.
Tripping over a fallen limb, I fall flat on my face, confirming that tropical soils have all the organic cushion of macadam.
1990 August, Boyd Gibbons, “Missouri's Garden of Consequence”, in National Geographic, volume 178, number 2, page 130:
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(figuratively) To fail miserably, especially in an obvious or embarrassing way.
He tried to start his own business but fell flat on his face.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| falling flat on one's face | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| fallen flat on one's face | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| falls flat on one's face | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| fell flat on one's face | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Translations (3)
pl ponosić druzgocącą klęskę (Translations) · hu pofára esik (Translations) · pl ponieść druzgocącą klęskę (Translations)