misfire
(of a rifle or gun or of a bullet or shell) to fail to fire or explode.
(of an internal-combustion engine) to fail to ignite properly or when expected.
to fail to achieve the desired result, effect, etc.: His criticisms completely misfired.
an act or instance of misfiring.
Origin of misfire
1Words Nearby misfire
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use misfire in a sentence
A spokesperson for Baldwin described the incident as a misfire of a prop gun with blanks, which are used to imitate live ammunition.
A death on set has reignited debate about Hollywood’s penchant for firearms | Courtney Vinopal | October 22, 2021 | QuartzActor Alec Baldwin, 63, shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and director Joel Souza, 48, in an “accident…involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks,” the producers of Rust said in a statement.
Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer with a prop gun | Ananya Bhattacharya | October 22, 2021 | QuartzInstead, it’s just another promising project sunk by Hollywood hubris, a mediocre misfire with a few good moments that never really had the chance at being more than that, but certainly could have been so much less.
‘Evan Hansen’ is better than you think – and that’s too bad | John Paul King | September 30, 2021 | Washington BladeThe officer’s plan, however, appears to have been a misfire.
An officer played a Taylor Swift song to keep his recording off YouTube. Instead it went viral. | Julian Mark | July 2, 2021 | Washington PostThe misfire reminded us of journalism’s infamous 2018 “pivot,” in which news sites reassigned reporters en masse to manufacture ultra-short text-on-screen videos before brutally firing everyone.
The biggest misfire here, though, was the notion that anyone would believe that this dude looked at all like Prince Harry.
The Biggest Bombs of 2014: ‘Sex Tape,’ Mariah Carey’s Vocals, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and More | Kevin Fallon | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFeely also indicated that the TOW was reliable, citing he had never seen a misfire during his four-year enlistment.
The Big Weapons that the U.S. May Be Secretly Supplying to the Syrian Rebels | Thomas Gibbons-Neff | April 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut the crime comedy Man of the House, released in 2005, was a major misfire.
Oscar Nominees’ Most Embarrassing Roles: Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lawrence & More (VIDEO) | Marlow Stern | February 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe latter film, directed by Nora Ephron, was a major misfire on all cylinders.
In the case of a misfire, don't open the bolt immediately, as it may be a hangfire.
Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army | War Department.The only thing which is unlikely is that the primer would be dented on the misfire?
Warren Commission (3 of 26): Hearings Vol. III (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President KennedyIt is a misfire, and the two men ride triumphantly on into the plains.
His ears strained for misfire of the engine, if it stopped he would be hurled to earth.
The Trail of the Hawk | Sinclair LewisClovis swore horribly under his breath; the miracle was an obvious misfire.
Beasts and Super-Beasts | Saki
British Dictionary definitions for misfire
/ (ˌmɪsˈfaɪə) /
(of a firearm or its projectile) to fail to fire, explode, or ignite as or when expected
(of a motor engine or vehicle, etc) to fail to fire at the appropriate time, often causing a backfire
to fail to operate or occur as intended
the act or an instance of misfiring
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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