male-fail

/ˈmeɪlˌfeɪl/

verb

Of a trans woman: to fail to pass as male; to make a successful male-to-female transition.

“I just male-failed with a customer and I'm so happy!”

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Meanings

verbmale-fail (third-person singular simple present male-fails, present participle male-failing, simple past and past participle male-failed)

present singular third person male-fails · participle present male-failing · participle past male-failed · past male-failed · alternative malefail

  1. intransitivetransgender slangOf a trans woman: to fail to pass as male; to make a successful male-to-female transition.

    I just male-failed with a customer and I'm so happy!

    2 more examples

    Was blonde until last year and since going red, things changed a lot. I male-fail so much more often and people talk to me more. It’s good but weird. 💁♀️

    2018 August 8, @jhannapearce, Twitter

    So, I guess I male-failed at work today? Sweet old lady with her grandkids, didn't bother correcting herself when she got closer... Yay for me? 😁

    2019 February 21, @Gravy_Bunny, Twitter

Translations

French malefail
  • malefailTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

male-fail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/male-fail

MLA

“male-fail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/male-fail. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “male-fail,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/male-fail.

Source: male-fail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.