diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3e5b926a..605cdc3f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased](https://github.com/TypedDevs/bashunit/compare/0.11.0...main)
 
+- Add `fail()` function
+
 ## [0.11.0](https://github.com/TypedDevs/bashunit/compare/0.10.1...0.11.0) - 2024-03-02
 
 - Add `--upgrade` option to `./bashunit`
diff --git a/docs/assertions.md b/docs/assertions.md
index bda8b60f..ee9990c1 100644
--- a/docs/assertions.md
+++ b/docs/assertions.md
@@ -856,3 +856,24 @@ function test_failure() {
 }
 ```
 :::
+
+## fail
+> `fail "failure message"`
+
+Unambiguously reports an error message. Useful for reporting specific message
+when testing situations not covered by any `assert_*` functions.
+
+::: code-group
+```bash [Example]
+function test_success() {
+  if [ "$(date +%-H)" -gt 25 ]; then
+    fail "Something is very wrong with your clock"
+  fi
+}
+function test_failure() {
+  if [ "$(date +%-H)" -lt 25 ]; then
+    fail "This test will always fail"
+  fi
+}
+```
+:::
diff --git a/src/assert.sh b/src/assert.sh
index 0dc5969f..c3448352 100755
--- a/src/assert.sh
+++ b/src/assert.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+function fail() {
+  local message=$1
+  local label="${2:-$(helper::normalize_test_function_name "${FUNCNAME[1]}")}"
+
+  state::add_assertions_failed
+  console_results::print_failure_message "${label}" "$message"
+}
+
 function assert_equals() {
   local expected="$1"
   local actual="$2"
diff --git a/src/console_results.sh b/src/console_results.sh
index c3deb958..0a45f96a 100644
--- a/src/console_results.sh
+++ b/src/console_results.sh
@@ -131,6 +131,16 @@ function console_results::print_successful_test() {
   fi
 }
 
+function console_results::print_failure_message() {
+  local test_name=$1
+  local failure_message=$2
+
+  printf "\
+${_COLOR_FAILED}✗ Failed${_COLOR_DEFAULT}: %s
+    ${_COLOR_FAINT}Message:${_COLOR_DEFAULT} ${_COLOR_BOLD}'%s'${_COLOR_DEFAULT}\n"\
+    "${test_name}" "${failure_message}"
+}
+
 function console_results::print_failed_test() {
   local test_name=$1
   local expected=$2
diff --git a/tests/unit/assert_test.sh b/tests/unit/assert_test.sh
index 34d48a05..f55466ed 100644
--- a/tests/unit/assert_test.sh
+++ b/tests/unit/assert_test.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+function test_successful_fail() {
+  true || fail "This cannot fail"
+}
+
+function test_unsuccessful_fail() {
+  assert_equals\
+    "$(console_results::print_failure_message "Unsuccessful fail" "Failure message")"\
+    "$(fail "Failure message")"
+}
+
 function test_successful_assert_equals() {
   assert_empty "$(assert_equals "1" "1")"
 }