versagen
Translation
to fail, to break down, to deny, to refuse
Examples
Die Bremsen haben versagt.
The brakes failed.
Er hat bei der Prüfung versagt.
He failed the exam.
Sie versagte ihm ihre Hilfe.
She denied him her help.
Grammar Patterns
intransitive: to fail, to break down The machine failed.
to fail ((at sth.)) He failed the exam.
to deny ((sb.)) ((sth.)) The king denied him his request.
Similar Words
Synonyms: scheitern, misslingen; Antonyms: gelingen, funktionieren
Etymology
Composed of 'ver-' (a prefix that can mean 'amiss' or 'wrongly') and 'sagen' (to say). The sense evolved from 'to refuse by speaking' to simply 'to refuse' or 'to fail'.
Memory Tips
Imagine you 'say' (sagen) something will work, but you are 'wrong' (ver-), and it fails.