fizzle
Americanverb (used without object)
noun
-
a fizzling, hissing, or sputtering.
-
Informal. a failure; fiasco.
verb
-
to make a hissing or bubbling sound
-
informal (often foll by out) to fail or die out, esp after a promising start
noun
-
a hissing or bubbling sound; fizz
-
informal an outright failure; fiasco
Etymology
Origin of fizzle
1525–35; earlier fysel to break wind, frequentative of *fise < Old Norse fīsa to break wind; akin to feist
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A chipper melodicist who never attempted to disguise his sentimental streak, Sedaka emerged at the moment rock ’n’ roll’s initial big bang started to fizzle.
From Los Angeles Times
Murray, who moved back home to the Borders during the pandemic said: "My career was fizzling out so this was sort of me giving something back to the area I'm from."
From BBC
The warm happiness I had felt at seeing all that gold fizzled as fast as snow on a hot griddle.
From Literature
By 1997, the battle had fizzled out and Jackson had moved on to more political concerns.
From Los Angeles Times
Sales at U.S retailers fizzled at the end of the holiday shopping season, suggesting consumers worried about the economy might be cutting back on spending as the new year got underway.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
