fizzle
[ fiz-uhl ]
/ ˈfɪz əl /
verb (used without object), fiz·zled, fiz·zling.
to make a hissing or sputtering sound, especially one that dies out weakly.
Informal.
to fail ignominiously after a good start (often followed by out): The reform movement fizzled out because of poor leadership.
noun
a fizzling, hissing, or sputtering.
Informal.
a failure; fiasco.
Origin of fizzle
1525–35; earlier
fysel to break wind, frequentative of
*fise < Old Norse
fīsa to break wind; akin to
feist
Words nearby fizzle
British Dictionary definitions for fizzle out
fizzle
/ (ˈfɪzəl) /
verb (intr)
to make a hissing or bubbling sound
(often foll by out) informal
to fail or die out, esp after a promising start
noun
a hissing or bubbling sound; fizz
informal
an outright failure; fiasco
Word Origin for fizzle
C16: probably from obsolete
fist to break wind
Idioms and Phrases with fizzle out
fizzle out
Fail, end weakly, especially after a hopeful beginning. For example, The enthusiasm for reform has fizzled out in this state. The word fizzle dates from the early 1500s and meant “to break wind without making noise.” Later it was applied to hissing noises, such as those made by wet fireworks, and then to any endeavor that ends in disappointment. [Colloquial; mid-1800s]