hail mary
C1Informal (dominant), Formal (rare, metaphorical use)
Definition
Meaning
A final, desperate attempt to achieve success when all other options have failed.
A long, speculative pass in American football, typically thrown in a desperate, last-ditch effort at the end of a game; any last-resort, high-risk strategy. The term originates from the Catholic prayer 'Hail Mary' (Ave Maria), implying a call for divine help in a hopeless situation.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term strongly implies a low probability of success. It is often used pejoratively to criticize a poorly thought-out or overly risky strategy. In American football, it is a specific technical term for a play.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, the term is used primarily in its metaphorical sense for a desperate attempt. In the US, it is common in both its metaphorical sense and as a specific term in American football. The sports usage is far more prevalent in the US.
Connotations
Similar in both variants: desperation, low probability, final chance.
Frequency
Significantly more frequent in American English due to its sports terminology. British usage is largely metaphorical and less common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] threw a hail mary (pass).[Subject] made a hail mary attempt to [infinitive].It was a complete hail mary.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “throw caution to the wind”
- “go for broke”
- “bet the farm”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The CEO's proposal to buy the failing competitor was seen as a hail mary to save the company."
Academic
"The researcher's controversial theory was considered a hail mary to revive a stagnant field."
Everyday
"Sending flowers after forgetting our anniversary was his hail mary to get out of trouble."
Technical
"The quarterback launched a 50-yard hail mary into the end zone as time expired." (American football)
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They decided to hail-mary it and invest their last savings in the venture.
American English
- With three seconds left, the team had no choice but to hail mary it into the end zone.
adverb
British English
- He acted hail-mary, without any real plan.
American English
- They played hail-mary in the fourth quarter, throwing deep passes every down.
adjective
British English
- It was a classic hail-mary strategy, born of pure desperation.
American English
- The coach drew up a hail-mary play for the final snap.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He made a hail mary attempt to finish the race, but he was too tired.
- The company's new ad campaign is a bit of a hail mary—they're hoping it will reverse their falling sales.
- The defence lawyer's emotional final appeal to the jury was a clear hail mary, an admission that the factual evidence was not in his client's favour.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a footballer (American) praying, 'Hail Mary, let this pass work!' as they throw the ball wildly at the end of a lost game. The prayer is for a miracle when nothing else is left.
Conceptual Metaphor
A DESPERATE ACTION IS A PRAYER FOR DIVINE INTERVENTION / SUCCESS IS A CATCH (from sports).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as 'Здравствуй, Мэри'. This makes no sense.
- Avoid confusing it with the simple religious term 'Молитва "Аве Мария"'. The idiom is distinct.
- The closest equivalent concept is "последняя отчаянная попытка" or, in sports, "пасс отчаяния".
Common Mistakes
- Using it to describe any attempt, not specifically a desperate, last-chance one.
- Misspelling as 'hale mary' or 'hail marry'.
- Using it in a positive context for a well-planned strategy.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'Hail Mary' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be considered irreverent by some, as it uses a sacred prayer's name to describe a desperate, often secular, action. Context and audience sensitivity are advised.
Yes, especially in informal and sports contexts (e.g., 'They had to hail mary it'). This is more common in US English.
It originates from American football in the 1970s. The term was popularised by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, who said he prayed a 'Hail Mary' before throwing a famous last-second winning pass. It metaphorically references the Catholic prayer asking for the Virgin Mary's intercession.
Yes, the metaphorical meaning is understood and used in other English-speaking countries, though its frequency is lower than in the US, where the sports term reinforces its use.