miscarry
Americanverb (used without object)
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to have a miscarriage of a fetus.
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to fail to attain the right or desired end; be unsuccessful.
The plan miscarried.
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to go astray or be lost in transit, as a letter.
verb
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to expel a fetus prematurely from the womb; abort
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to fail
all her plans miscarried
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(of freight, mail, etc) to fail to reach a destination
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has miscarriedperfect 3rd person singular
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have miscarriedperfect
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is miscarryingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been miscarryingperfect progressive
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are miscarryingprogressive
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miscarriessingular 3rd person
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am miscarryingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been miscarryingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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miscarryingparticiple
Past
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had miscarriedperfect
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was miscarryingprogressive singular
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were miscarryingprogressive plural
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miscarriedparticiple
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had been miscarryingperfect progressive
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miscarriedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of miscarry
First recorded in 1275–1325, miscarry is from the Middle English word miscarien. See mis- 1, carry
Vocabulary lists containing miscarry
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She knew she would have to miscarry again before she could get the help she needed.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Listeria infections are especially serious for anyone who is pregnant, as a listeria infection during pregnancy can cause a patient to miscarry, deliver a stillbirth, or deliver the baby early.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2025
But even in the cases of those who miscarry and are denied medical care, there's not much concern.
From Salon • Nov. 1, 2024
“A lot of people successfully miscarry on their own, but that can take a couple months,” Loren said in an interview.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 5, 2024
Mom told me those types of pregnancies frequently miscarry early on, but not always.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
