hail Mary
/ˌheɪl ˈmɛri/
Meaning
A term originating from American football that refers to a long, desperate pass made with very little chance of success, usually at the end of a game. In broader contexts, it describes any high-risk, last-ditch effort or plan attempted when defeat seems certain.
Examples
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With only seconds left on the clock, the quarterback threw a spectacular hail Mary to win the game.
With only seconds left on the clock, the quarterback threw a spectacular hail Mary to win the game.
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Launching that new product line at the last minute was a complete hail Mary, but it saved the company.
Launching that new product line at the last minute was a complete hail Mary, but it saved the company.
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We had no other options, so we sent a hail Mary email to the CEO hoping she would read it.
We had no other options, so we sent a hail Mary email to the CEO hoping she would read it.
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The defense lawyer's sudden introduction of a new witness felt like a desperate hail Mary.
The defense lawyer's sudden introduction of a new witness felt like a desperate hail Mary.
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It was a total hail Mary play, but somehow we managed to secure the funding before the midnight deadline.
It was a total hail Mary play, but somehow we managed to secure the funding before the midnight deadline.
Common Mistakes
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✗ We threw a hail maria pass.
✓ We threw a hail Mary pass.
'Hail Mary' is a fixed idiomatic phrase derived from the Catholic prayer, and 'Mary' cannot be substituted with 'Maria'.
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✗ It was a hail Mary try.
✓ It was a hail Mary attempt.
While 'hail Mary' can stand alone as a noun, when used as an adjective, it typically collocates with nouns like 'pass', 'play', 'effort', or 'attempt' rather than 'try'.
Related Expressions
Practice
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Our marketing campaign was a bit of a ___, but it ended up going viral.
💡 A desperate, low-probability attempt.
Show answer
hail Mary
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The team pulled off a stunning victory with a last-second ___ pass.
💡 A long football throw or desperate play.
Show answer
hail Mary