misfire
verb (used without object)
(of a rifle or gun or of a bullet or shell) to fail to fire or explode.
misfiring
-
present participleof misfire.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
Brainwashing isn’t enough: “To turn you into a willful collaborator, I need to also attack your emotional system. Empathy is an adaptive virtue. Suicidal empathy is the misfiring of this adaptive process.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
A misfiring and cramping Jannik Sinner admitted Saturday he "got lucky" after dropping a rare set before taming American underdog Eliot Spizzirri in furnace-like heat to make the last 16 at the Australian Open.
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
Vance has been repeatedly ratioed on X ever since, a small but telling sign that the usual outrage machine is misfiring.
From Salon ● Jan. 14, 2026
Another bad result for Manchester United and another game without a goal from their misfiring forwards.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2025
And then, nine years later, Maria Teresa, his final desperate attempt at a boy misfiring.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
