Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
fail upwards. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
fail upwards, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
fail upwards in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
fail upwards you have here. The definition of the word
fail upwards will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
fail upwards, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Alternative forms
Verb
fail upwards (third-person singular simple present fails upwards, present participle failing upwards, simple past and past participle failed upwards)
- (idiomatic, informal) To advance in one's career despite failure or incompetence.
- Synonym: fail up the ladder
1994, Gail O'Donnell, Michele Travolta, Making it in Hollywood: behind the success of 50 of today's favorite actors, screenwriters, producers, and directors, Sourcebooks, →ISBN, page 139:I got trapped in an absurd, "failing upwards" trajectory. Heathers got me work on a bigger film called Ford Fairlane. When that movie failed, I was given a post on an even bigger film, Hudson Hawk. After that one really, really failed, I was rewarded with the assignment of Batman Returns.
1997, Robert A. Berman, Fade in: The Screenwriting Process, M. Wiese Productions, →ISBN, page 216:In Hollywood, as in many industries, there are countless tales of people who fail upwards. It means that no matter how poorly someone performs with one project, the next one he or she will be given will be significantly greater. If a director makes a flop for $15 million, you can bet the ranch that his next picture deal will be for $25 million.
2008, William Goldman, Magic: A Novel, Random House Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 107:He was your standard show business example of failing upwards, and the Postman had no doubts that eventually Goldstone would be running a major Hollywood film studio into receivership.
2010, Svetlana Savranskaya, Thomas S. Blanton, Vladislav Martinovich Zubok, Masterpieces of History: The Peaceful End of the Cold War in Eastern Europe, Central European University Press, →ISBN, page 261:Gates himself would move to the White House as deputy national security adviser—in effect, failing upwards.
See also