flunk

Etymology

Alteration of funk, or perhaps a blend of flinch + funk.

verb

  1. (US, transitive, intransitive) Of a student, to fail a class; to not pass.
    He flunked math, again.
  2. (US, transitive) Of a teacher, to deny a student a passing grade.
    Unsatisfied with Fred's progress, the teacher flunked him.
  3. (US, dated, informal) To shirk (a task or duty).
  4. To back out through fear. (Commonly in the phrase 'flunk it', the 'it' referring to a specific task avoided; sometimes without specific reference, describing a person's attitude to life in general.)

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