the.com/fizzle
The sound of enthusiasm dying without the dignity of an explosion.
means To fail or peter out weakly after a promising start, especially one that fades away instead of ending with any kind of bang.
from Fizzle started in the 1500s meaning to break wind quietly — a hushed, embarrassing little failure of a noise, related to Old English roots for blowing or breaking air. By the 1800s, American English had pushed it toward its modern sense: something that hisses, sputters, and dies out, like a damp firework. So the word's entire history is built from small, disappointing noises — it's always been about things that fail audibly but unimpressively.
- origin
- once meant to fart silently, 1500s English
- pattern
- strong start, weak finish, no climax
- contrast
- opposite of fizzle isnt success, its bang
- usage
- describes plans, romances, and New Year resolutions equally