usage of fail

[OzkanS]

"The meeting with the policeman never failed to amuse him."

"failed to amuse" mean is not amused or unsuccessful to amuse him?

[SirGod]

* Not a teacher

Never failed to amuse means that the meeting with the policeman amused him every time.

[Tdol]

If he met the policeman many times, then Meeting with or The meetings with would work better for me. The meeting with sounds like, for example, a scene from a film he watched many times.

[OzkanS]

If he met the policeman many times, then Meeting with or The meetings with would work better for me. The meeting with sounds like, for example, a scene from a film he watched many times.

But what about "failed to amuse" expression?

[Tdol]

Sir God's right- it means he was always amused.

[SirGod]

But what about "failed to amuse" expression?

1) The stand-up comedian failed to amuse him.

This means that he was not amused by the comedian.

2) The stand-up comedian never failed to amuse him.

In your context, as in my second example, there's a never before failed to amuse, so it means the opposite. He was amused by the comedian.