- Home
- Idioms
- fall by the wayside
fall by the wayside
fall by the wayside
1. to no longer be active Plans for at least one other power plant have fallen by the wayside. Most of the company's smaller rivals have fallen by the wayside.
2. to stop trying Students who fall by the wayside often do not see any reason why they should finish their courses. "I've seen a lot of bands split up and fall by the wayside," the singer said.
fall by the wayside
1. if someone falls by the wayside, they fail to finish an activity A lot of students fall by the wayside during their first year at university.
2. if something falls by the wayside, people stop doing it, making it, or using it Many new drugs fall by the wayside in the laboratory.
fall by the wayside
Fail to continue, drop out, as in At first she did well on the tour, but with all the pressure she soon fell by the wayside . This phrase appeared in William Tyndale's translation of the New Testament (1526; Luke 8:5).
fall by the wayside
To fail to continue; give up.