fall flat
Get no laughs
Fall flat is to fail completely, especially when something intended to impress or amuse produces no response.
A joke falls flat when nobody laughs.
A speech falls flat when the audience sits unmoved.
The image suggests something that should rise or land gracefully instead collapsing to the ground: His attempt at humor fell flat.
Complete commercial failure
- bombExplosive device or disaster
- misfireFailure to discharge
- backfireYield unintended consequences
- fiascoHumiliating public failure
debacle · dud · bust · washout · fizzle · tank · crater · flounder
Jumping insects that chirp
- groanLow vocal expression of distress
- silenceTotal lack of sound
- awkwardLacking grace or ease
- deadpanExpressionless, especially for humor
wooden · forced · stiff · cringe · eye-roll · unamusing · humorless · toneless
Failing to convince
- implausibleUnlikely to be true
- unbelievableImpossible to accept as true
- weakLacking power or force
- flimsyWeak and easily damaged
thin · hollow · empty · shallow · superficial · half-hearted · toothless · limp
flop
Complete commercial failure
fiasco · debacle · dud · bust · washout · fizzle · tank · crater · flounder · blunder
crickets
Jumping insects that chirp
deadpan · wooden · forced · stiff · cringe · eye-roll · unamusing · humorless · toneless · painful
unpersuasive
Failing to convince
- implausibleUnlikely to be true
- unbelievableImpossible to accept as true
- weakLacking power or force
flimsy · thin · hollow · empty · shallow · superficial · half-hearted · toothless · limp · feeble