fall flat
fall flat — idiom
1. if a joke, a comic performance, or an attempt to be funny falls flat, it fails c
if a joke, a comic performance, or an attempt to be funny falls flat, it fails completely because nobody laughs or shows any sign of enjoyment.
Tomás told a story about his pet snake, but the joke fell flat and everyone just stared at him.
joke + fell flat — silence instead of laughter
The comedian's opening routine fell flat, so she quickly switched to a different style of humour.
routine / fell flat — performer adapts to audience silence
Naoko tried to lighten the mood with a pun, but it fell flat and the meeting stayed tense.
Mira's impression of the boss fell completely flat with the team — nobody found it funny or accurate.
The wedding speech started well, but a weak joke in the middle made the whole section fall flat.
- land well
positive counterpart — a joke that gets laughs
- go down well
broader positive reception from an audience
文法句型
fall flat (no object)
用法筆記
Nearly always used of planned humour or performance — not for naturally occurring funny situations. Frequently appears with adverbs like 'completely', 'totally', or 'somewhat' before 'flat'.
常見錯誤
2. if a plan, suggestion, or effort falls flat, it produces no useful result and fa
if a plan, suggestion, or effort falls flat, it produces no useful result and fails to achieve what was intended, often because people reject it or ignore it.
Quan's proposal to redesign the office kitchen fell flat when staff said they preferred new computers.
proposal + fell flat — rejected by the intended audience
The charity's campaign to raise funds fell flat after the main donor pulled out at the last minute.
Every suggestion Chidi made at the board meeting fell flat because the directors were focused on cutting costs.
Gabriela tried to organise a team-building day, but the idea fell flat and only three people signed up.
Efforts to renegotiate the trade deal fell flat when neither side was willing to change its position.
- fail
more general; less idiomatic and less vivid
- come to nothing
similar meaning but emphasises lack of result rather than lack of reaction
- backfire
stronger — the effort not only fails but produces a negative result
文法句型
fall flat (no object)
用法筆記
This sense is common in business and political contexts. Unlike sense 1, it does NOT imply an audience's emotional reaction — the failure may be purely practical (no result, no uptake). Distinguish from sense 1 (JOKE OR PERFORMANCE), where the failure is emotional or social (no laughter, no enjoyment).