Chapter Words Relating to the Voluntary Powers of Index by Roget's Thesaurus

(Phrases). A losing game; a flash in the pan; une affaire flambée; a wild-goose chase; a mare's nest; a sleeveless errand; the mountain bringing forth a mouse; parturiunt montes, etc.

(Verbs). To fail, to be unsuccessful, etc., to come off badly, go badly, go amiss, go wrong, fall flat, fall through, fizzle out, turn out ill, work ill, lose ground, recede 283, fall short of 304.

To miss, miss one's aim; to labour, toil, etc., in vain; to lose one's labour, flounder, limp, miss one's footing, miscarry, abort; to make vain, ineffectual, or abortive efforts; to make a slip; to make or commit a mistake, commit a fault, make a mess of; to botch, make a botch of, bungle, foozle.

To be defeated, overthrown, foiled, worsted, let down, etc.; to break down, sink, drown, founder, go to ruin, etc., fall, slip, tumble, stumble, falter, be capsized, etc., run aground, crock up, collapse.

(Phrases). To come to nothing; to end in smoke; to slip through one's fingers; to take an ugly turn; to hang fire; to miss fire; to miss stays; to flash in the pan; to split upon a rock; to be thrown on one's back; to bite the dust; to be thrown on one's beam-ends; to go to the wall; to take a back seat; to get the worst of it; to go to the dogs; to go to pot; to break one's back; to be all up with; to be in the wrong box; to stand in one's own light; to catch a Tartar; to get hold of the wrong sow by the ear; to burn one's fingers; to shoot at a pigeon and kill a crow; to beat the air; to skin a flint; to wash a blackamoor white; to fight against windmills; to roll the stone of Sisyphus; to fall between two stools; to come a cropper, or mucker.

(Adjectives). Unsuccessful, failing, etc., unfortunate, in a bad way, unlucky, luckless, out of luck, ill-fated, ill-starred, disastrous.

Unavailing, abortive, addle, still-born, fruitless, bootless, ineffectual, unattained, lame, hobbling, décousu, futile.

Aground, grounded, swamped, stranded, cast away, wrecked, on the rocks, foundered, capsized, shipwrecked, etc. 731.

Defeated, overcome, overthrown, overpowered, mastered, worsted, vanquished, conquered, etc. (see 731), subjugated, routed, silenced, distanced, foiled, unhorsed, baffled, flambé, dished, tossed about, stultified, undone, done for, down and out, ruined, circumvented, planet-struck, being all up with.

(Phrases). Allant à tort et à travers; wide of the mark; not having a leg to stand upon; ruined root and branch; the sport of fortune; the mountain bringing forth a mouse; hoist by one's own petard; left in the lurch; out of the running.

(Adverbs). Unsuccessfully, etc., in vain, to no purpose, all up with.

(Phrases). Out of the frying-pan into the fire; sic transit gloria mundi.

729. Trophy (Substantives), laurel, palm, crown, bays, wreath, chaplet, civic crown, medal, cup, scalp, prize, triumphal arch, ovation, triumph 883, flourish of trumpets, flying colours.

(Phrase). A feather in one's cap.

730. Prosperity (Substantives), see Success 731, thrift, good fortune, welfare, well-being, luck, good luck, a run of luck, fair weather, sunshine, fair wind, palmy days, the smiles of fortune, halcyon days, Saturnia regna, Saturnian age.

An upstart, parvenu, nouveau riche, skipjack, mushroom, self-made man.

A made man, a lucky dog.

(Verbs). To prosper, thrive, flourish, be well off; to flower, blow, blossom, bloom, fructify; to bask in the sunshine; to rise in the world; to make one's way; to have a run; to light on one's feet.