verb

scheitern

fail

Etwas nicht schaffen, obwohl man es versucht hat.

Definition & meaning

scheitern is a German verb meaning to fail, to be unsuccessful, or to founder.

It is usually used when a person, plan, attempt, negotiation, or project does not achieve its intended result:

Der Plan ist gescheitert. — The plan failed.
Sie ist an der Prüfung gescheitert. — She failed the exam.
Die Verhandlungen scheiterten. — The negotiations failed.

It can also mean that something breaks down because of an obstacle or difficulty:

Das Projekt scheiterte an den hohen Kosten. — The project failed because of the high costs.

Unlike durchfallen (), which is mainly used for failing an exam, scheitern has a broader and often more serious or dramatic meaning.

Grammar & Word origin

scheitern is an intransitive verb, so it normally does not take a direct object.

Infinitive: scheitern
Present tense, 3rd person singular: er scheitert
Simple past: er scheiterte
Perfect: er ist gescheitert

The perfect tense uses sein , because the verb describes a change of state or outcome.

A very common construction is:

an + dative

an etwas scheitern — to fail because of something
an jemandem scheitern — to fail because of someone

Historically, the verb is related to Scheit , meaning a piece of split wood or log. The original idea was probably that something breaks apart or comes to an end unsuccessfully.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

misslingen — to fail or not succeed; often used for an attempt, plan, or action. It is somewhat more neutral and focuses on the result.
fehlschlagen — to fail or go wrong; common for plans, measures, and attempts.
nicht gelingen — literally “not to succeed”; usually more neutral and less dramatic than scheitern.
durchfallen — to fail an exam or test specifically.
aufgeben — to give up; this describes stopping an effort, whereas scheitern describes the effort being unsuccessful.

Antonyms

gelingen — to succeed; the most direct antonym.
erfolgreich sein — to be successful; emphasizes a positive outcome.
glücken — to turn out well or succeed; often used for plans, attempts, or undertakings.

Common phrases & collocations

an etwas scheitern — to fail because of something
an den Kosten scheitern — to fail because of the costs
an seinen eigenen Ansprüchen scheitern — to fail because one’s own standards are too high
ein Projekt scheitert — a project fails
eine Beziehung scheitert — a relationship breaks down
politisch scheitern — to fail politically
kläglich scheitern — to fail miserably
letztlich scheitern — ultimately to fail