fizzling

Variant of fizzle

intransitive verb fizzled, fizzling

  1. to make a hissing or sputtering sound
  2. Informal to fail, esp. after a successful beginning: often with out

Origin: ME fesilen, to break wind silently, akin to fisten: see feist

noun

Informal an attempt that ends in failure
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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