Hail Mary

American  

[heyl mer-ee, mair-ee] / ˈheɪl ˈmɛr i, ˈmɛər i /

noun

1. Ave Maria.

2. 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.

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Hail Mary British  

noun

1. 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

2. slang American football a very long high pass into the end zone, made in the final seconds of a half or of a game

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Etymology

Origin of Hail Mary

1300–50; Middle English, translation of Medieval Latin Ave Maria

Example Sentences

The findings, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, echo the kind of mission imagined in the Hollywood film Project Hail Mary.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

Project Hail Mary ranks as the third-bigest non-sequel and non-franchise film to open above $50m overseas since the Covid pandemic, along with Oppenheimer and F1: The Movie.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Amazon MGM's sci-fi adventure flick "Project Hail Mary" debuted at the top of the North American box office this week with an astronomical $80.5 million, industry estimates showed Sunday.

From Barron's • Mar. 22, 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

After we said the last Hail Mary, my head snapped back when I heard the raised, melodious voice.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie