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

Maye closed out the first half with an interception on a Hail Mary attempt with the Patriots leading 21-10. —Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026

Maye also threw an interception to end the half on a Hail Mary. —CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026

Long shots and exactas are not just for recreational bettors hoping to convert a Hail Mary wager. —Doug Kezirian, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026

Things got fascinating at the end, with Ole Miss going 40 yards in just a few seconds to set up a Hail Mary for the win. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026

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