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

The game was still relatively close up until Freeman caught a Hail Mary pass from Brett Favre for a touchdown right before halftime. — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 22 June 2026

The acclaimed Project Hail Mary is Amazon’s sci-fi spectacular, The Sheep Detectives is a mystery-comedy for kids and American author Don Winslow’s novella Crime 101 is its detective drama with Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry in the lead roles. — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

The private marina at Marina Shores was sold to a Kansas City firm that saw the city’s Hail Mary play and decided to investigate the city for business opportunities, Bonta said. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026

Most recently, his stunning lead performance in Project Hail Mary captivated audiences around the world, proving his extraordinary ability to carry a film with grace, wit, and profound emotional power. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 17 June 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