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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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miscarrysimple
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miscarriessimple
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have miscarriedperfect
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has miscarriedperfect
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am miscarryingprogressive
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are miscarryingprogressive
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is miscarryingprogressive
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have been miscarryingperfect progressive
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has been miscarryingperfect progressive
Past
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miscarriedsimple
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had miscarriedperfect
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was miscarryingprogressive
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were miscarryingprogressive
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had been miscarryingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
Was it possible that my relentless travel had caused me to miscarry — and in a country where I knew women sometimes faced withering criticism and blame for poor pregnancy outcomes?
From Salon ● Dec. 3, 2025
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
UK workers who miscarry before 24 weeks have no legal right to maternity or parental-bereavement leave - although, a number of large companies, including Tesco, Lidl, John Lewis and Santander, offer it.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 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
A woman who miscarries and needs medical care is, in this worldview, much like a malfunctioning appliance.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2024
If someone delivers or miscarries at a hospital, there are methods to dispose of remains already in place, usually mass graves.
From Slate ● Oct. 3, 2024
Like my husband, many men experience sadness, grief, stress, anxiety, and depression after their partner miscarries.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 2, 2021
If someone miscarries at home, the onus is on them to collect a clean sample of the tissue and take it to their hospital within 24 hours.
From The Guardian ● May 5, 2020
"It is spoken with understanding and foresight. But how do I draw back my arm if all this miscarries?"
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
After Tyler miscarried, she threw herself into work.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Through his remissions, they pursued fertility treatments and rounds of IVF, but miscarried each time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
In one case, a pregnant woman miscarried after becoming ill, the agency said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2025
Eventually, she began to see brown discharge and was taken to an off-site hospital where, days later, health care providers confirmed she had miscarried.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2025
She never rode since she fell years ago and miscarried the baby that would have come between Lyddie and Charles.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
Most disturbing of all, women who were actively miscarrying, an already physically painful and emotionally shattering experience, said they were ignored entirely by facility staff.
From Slate ● Dec. 8, 2025
But Anna Malnutt said she went back to work three days after miscarrying: "I just didn't really know how long was OK to take, and I felt like I needed to go back."
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2025
Patients who are miscarrying still don’t know what to expect from Houston Methodist.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2024
This report, combined with her symptoms, indicated she was miscarrying.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2024
Coming to naught; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful; as, an abortive attempt.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah
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.
