Hail Mary
Americannoun
-
Also called Hail Mary pass, Hail Mary play. a long forward pass in football, especially as a last-ditch attempt at the end of a game, where completion is considered unlikely.
noun
-
Also called: Ave Maria. RC Church a prayer to the Virgin Mary, based on the salutations of the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:28) and Elizabeth (Luke 1:42) to her
-
slang American football a very long high pass into the end zone, made in the final seconds of a half or of a game
Etymology
Origin of Hail Mary
1300–50; Middle English, translation of Medieval Latin Ave Maria
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.
The Hail Mary pass isn’t the only example of prayer in football.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
They wrote that the challenge to Trump's order was a "Hail Mary pass" that was unlikely to be successful ultimately.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
In her ruling, she described it as a "Hail Mary" effort to "eliminate a strong witness" for the plaintiffs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
But he was hit while releasing a Hail Mary attempt that wobbled incomplete.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Hearing the familiar words of the Hail Mary in Spanish, as Mami always said it, helped calm Bri down.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
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.
