Hail Mary
Americannoun
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Also called Hail Mary pass,. Also called 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
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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
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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.
“With the last $20,000, as a Hail Mary, we created and launched Subway Takes,” says Kuo, who produces the show.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
The plaintiffs then filed a Hail Mary request with the Supreme Court to intervene before the D.C.
From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026
Space adventure flick "Project Hail Mary" topped the North American box office for a second straight week with $54.5 million in ticket sales, industry estimates showed Sunday.
From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026
“We believe deeply in the Hail Mary, and it’s clear audiences do as well,” Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution for Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026
Papa read from the psalms before saying the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, and the Apostles Creed.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
