fizzle

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: fiz=zle

CIDE DICTIONARY

fizzle, v. i. [See Fizz.].

•  To make a hissing sound.  [1913 Webster]

  "It is the easiest thing, sir, to be done,
  As plain as fizzling."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make a ridiculous failure in an undertaking, especially after a good start; to achieve nothing.  [1913 Webster]

  "A four-day rally in stocks fizzled yesterday amid renewed fears that strong economic growth may prompt the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates."  [PJC]

To fizzle out, to burn with a hissing noise and then go out, like wet gunpowder; hence: to fail completely and ridiculously; to prove a failure. [Colloq.]

fizzle, n. 

 A failure or abortive effort; a fiasco.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

fizzle, v. & n.
--v.intr. make a feeble hissing or spluttering sound.
--n. such a sound.

Idiom

fizzle out end feebly (the party fizzled out at 10 o'clock).

Etymology

formed as FIZZ + -LE(4)

THESAURUS

fizzle

abort, assibilate, assibilation, bafflement, balk, be disappointing, betrayed hope, blasted expectation, blighted hope, blow, blow up, blubber, boil, boil over, boiling, bomb, bubble, bubble over, bubble up, bubbliness, bubbling, buffet, burble, burn out, bust, buzz, carbonation, cave in, collapse, come short, come to grief, come to naught, come to nothing, comedown, cruel disappointment, dash, dashed hope, defeat, die, die away, die out, disappointment, discomfiture, disillusionment, dissatisfaction, dull thud, ebullience, ebulliency, ebullition, effervesce, effervescence, effervescency, effervescing, expire, explode, fail, fail miserably, failure, fall short, fall through, fallen countenance, ferment, fermentation, fiasco, fizz, fizz out, fizzle out, fizzling, flame out, flat failure, flop, floperoo, foaming, foiling, forlorn hope, frication, frictional rustling, frost, frothiness, frothing, frustration, get nowhere, go out, go phut, go wrong, guggle, gurgle, hang up, hiss, hissing, hope deferred, hush, hushing, lemon, letdown, lisp, mirage, miscarry, misfire, not hack it, not make it, peter out, plop, poop out, rhonchus, seethe, setback, shush, shushing, sibilance, sibilate, sibilation, siffle, sigmatism, simmer, siss, sissing, sizz, sizzle, sizzling, sneeze, sneezing, sniff, sniffle, snore, snort, snuff, snuffle, sore disappointment, sparkle, spit, splutter, spumescence, sputter, squash, squelch, squish, sternutation, stertor, swish, tantalization, tease, total loss, turkey, turn sour, washout, wheeze, whish, whisper, whistle, whistling, white noise, whiz, whoosh, work, zip

ROGET THESAURUS

fizzle

Bubble

VB bubble, boil, foam, froth, mantle, sparkle, guggle, gurgle, effervesce, ferment, fizzle.

Insulation

VB go out, die out, burn out, fizzle, extinguish, damp, slack, quench, smother, put out, stamp out, douse, snuff, snuff out, blow out, fireproof, flameproof.

Sibilation

VB hiss, buzz, whiz, rustle, fizz, fizzle, wheeze, whistle, snuffle, squash, sneeze, sizzle, swish.