Hail Mary

noun

plural Hail Marys

1

: a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary that consists of salutations and a plea for her intercession

2

or less commonly Hail Mary pass : a long forward pass in football thrown into or near the end zone in a last-ditch attempt to score as time runs out

—often used figuratively

The only potential cure is a stem-cell transplant, when you take somebody else's immune system and put it into yours. But right now that's kind of a Hail Mary pass.

—Douglas Cote, quoted in Bicycling

Examples of Hail Mary in a Sentence

He threw up a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.

Recent Examples on the Web

But then Stevenson got caught paying more attention to Washington fans than Commanders’ wide receiver Noah Brown on a game-winning Hail Mary pass in Week 8, subjecting himself to a harsh examination. —Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

With the premium every team puts on the quarterback position, taking a signal caller late on Day 3 of the draft is a Hail Mary. —Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025

Amina has been admiring from afar Olympia’s recent recommitment to social justice — and, more importantly, all the Hail Mary wins Olympia’s team is pulling off. —Noel Murray, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025

Related Stories ‘Michael’ Cast: Who’s Who In The Michael Jackson Biopic James Bond & ‘Project Hail Mary’ Producer Amy Pascal Moves First-Look Deal To Amazon MGM Will the Graham King production make its October 3 release date? —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

translation of Medieval Latin Ave, Maria, from the opening words

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Hail Mary

• askari
• astbury
• azeri
• banbury
• barberry
• blackberry
• blueberry
• canary
• cranberry
• dentary
• dewberry
• dogberry

Kids Definition

Hail Mary

noun

-ˈme(ə)r-ē,

-ˈma(ə)r-ē,

-ˈmā-rē

: a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary