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

Seattle eventually clinched the NFC title when time ran out on Los Angeles after Puka Nacua's 21-yard grab to try and set the Rams up for a Hail Mary attempt. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026

So either get what already is in place some elite help, as in a Hail Mary for Giannis. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026

Her 2023 feature Hail Mary debuted at SXSW and was executive-produced by Keanu Reeves. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026

But companies hoping for a Hail Mary may be disappointed. —Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 28 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