fizzle

[fiz-uh l] /ˈfɪz əl/
verb (used without object), fizzled, fizzling.
1.
to make a hissing or sputtering sound, especially one that dies out weakly.
2.
Informal. to fail ignominiously after a good start (often followed by out):
The reform movement fizzled out because of poor leadership.
noun
3.
a fizzling, hissing, or sputtering.
4.
Informal. a failure; fiasco.
Origin
1525-35; earlier fysel to break wind, frequentative of *fise < Old Norse fīsa to break wind; akin to feist
Synonyms
2. miscarry, collapse, founder.
Examples from the web for fizzle
  • The early euphoria could rapidly fizzle into surly disappointment.
  • Remove any one of the basic components, though, and the fire will either fail to ignite or will fizzle out by itself.
  • With the local elections over, the protests will probably fizzle for a while.
  • If they stall, the coalition could yet fizzle out in failure.
  • And her popularity could fizzle, once her novelty value wears off and she has to start revamping her party.
  • The big question is whether this interest in controlling risk will fizzle out as economies recover.
  • They tend to lose their reformist zeal and see their growth fizzle.
  • Even if protests fizzle for the time being, a certain pride of reclaiming possession was vividly in evidence.
  • The result of the storm was more of a fizzle than a disaster and weather agencies took criticism for a false alarm.
  • If the star has retained its original, puffy envelope of hydrogen gas, the jet stops dead and the gamma-ray burst may fizzle.
British Dictionary definitions for fizzle

fizzle

/ˈfɪzəl/
verb (intransitive)
1.
to make a hissing or bubbling sound
2.
(often foll by out) (informal) to fail or die out, esp after a promising start
noun
3.
a hissing or bubbling sound; fizz
4.
(informal) an outright failure; fiasco
Word Origin
C16: probably from obsolete fist to break wind
Word Origin and History for fizzle
v.

1530s, "to break wind without noise," probably altered from obsolete fist, from Middle English fisten "break wind" (see feisty) + frequentative suffix -le. Related: Fizzled; fizzling.

Noun sense of "failure, fiasco" is from 1846, originally U.S. college slang for "failure in an exam." Barnhart says it is "not considered as derived from the verb." The verb in this sense is from 1847.

Slang definitions & phrases for fizzle

fizzle

noun

: Our monster bash was a fizzle

verb

To fail; lose effect; flop, peter out: I bail out of all my commitments and things fizzle

[1840s+ College students; fr the lackluster sibilance of a damp firecracker]