miscarry
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to have a miscarriage of a fetus.
-
to fail to attain the right or desired end; be unsuccessful.
The plan miscarried.
-
to go astray or be lost in transit, as a letter.
verb
-
to expel a fetus prematurely from the womb; abort
-
to fail
all her plans miscarried
-
(of freight, mail, etc) to fail to reach a destination
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.
She said many women do not share their pregnancy news before the 12-week scan, so if they miscarry earlier, they can struggle to know who to talk to which can be isolating.
From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025
Known as Oropouche virus, it can trigger a fever that may cause pregnant people to miscarry or their babies to have birth defects known as microcephaly, or smaller than usual heads.
From Salon • Mar. 20, 2025
Up to one in four women who know they are pregnant will miscarry, according to the National Library of Medicine.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 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
Even with the arrows gone they fared little better, for Athena had now come to take a part in the great deeds being done and she made each attempt to reach Odysseus miscarry.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
