fizzle

WOTD – 10 August 2009    

English

Etymology

Attested in English since 1525-35. From earlier fysel (“to fart”). Related to fīsa (“to fart”). Compare with fisa (“to fart (silently)”). See also feist.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈfɪzəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪzəl

Verb

fizzle (third-person singular simple present fizzles, present participle fizzling, simple past and past participle fizzled)

1. To sputter or hiss.

   The soda fizzled for several minutes after it was poured.

   • Ben Jonson

     It is the easest thing, sir, to be done, / As plain as fizzling.

2. (figuratively) To decay or die off to nothing; to burn out; to end less successfully than previously hoped.

   The entire project fizzled after the founder retired.

Derived terms

• fizzler

Translations

to splutter or hiss

• Armenian: թեթև ֆշշալ (hy) (t’et’ev fššal), թշշալ (hy) (t’ššal)
• Bulgarian: шипя (bg) (šipja)
• Danish: bruse (da)

• Finnish: pihistä (fi)
• Russian: шипеть (ru) (šipetʹ)
• Swedish: fräsa (sv), pysa (sv)

to decay or die off to nothing

• Bulgarian: провалям се (bg) (provaljam se)
• Danish: ebbe ud (da)
• Finnish: kuivua kokoon (fi)

• Russian: потерпеть (ru) (poterpetʹ) фиаско (ru) (fiasko)
• Swedish: ebba ut (sv), gå i stöpet (sv)

Noun

fizzle (plural fizzles)

1. A spluttering or hissing sound.
2. Failure of a nuclear bomb to meet its expected yield during testing.

Translations

spluttering or hissing sound

• Armenian: թեթև ֆշշոց (hy) (t’et’ev fššoc’)
• Bulgarian: шипене (bg) (šipene)
• Danish: brusen (da) c

• Finnish: pihinä (fi)
• Swedish: fräsande (sv), pysande (sv)

Related terms

• fizz
• fizzy