misfire

1 of 2

verb

mis·​fire ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r How to pronounce misfire (audio)
misfired; misfiring; misfires

intransitive verb

1
: to have the explosive or propulsive charge fail to ignite at the proper time
the engine misfired
2
: to fail to fire
the gun misfired
3
: to miss an intended effect or objective
the new ad campaign misfired

misfire

2 of 2

noun

mis·​fire ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r How to pronounce misfire (audio)
ˈmis-ˌfī(-ə)r
1
: a failure (as of a cartridge or firearm) to fire
2
: something that misfires

Examples of misfire in a Sentence

Verb their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The Pirates had the ball in Lakewood’s end of the field several times with Hassan Diaz shooting high and over the goal and Braulio Ibarra firing for 30 yards out only to be stopped in a great diving stop by Diego Ortiz. Just before Ibarra’s shot, Oceanside misfired on a cross. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 Without the correct amount of GABA, nerve cells can misfire, leading to the muscle stiffness and spasms characteristic of SPS. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 While the numbers look fairly accurate, Steil misfires on the blame element. Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024 The former Kansas star misfired on 5 of 6 attempts from the floor against the Kings, sank 1 of 2 free throws, dished out two assists, pulled down three boards and racked up a block over 23 minutes of grind. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2024 Jordan Stout also misfired on a 24-yard punt in the first half on a windy afternoon. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2024 At New Orleans, where he got booed after having played there for five seasons, Gordon mostly misfired on a 2-of-9 night with 1-of-8 being from 3. Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 22 Jan. 2024 The Panthers could muster little offense outside of Carrington and Lowe in the second half as Hinson misfired and twin centers Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham had trouble defensively against the stronger Tar Heels. Will Graves, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2024 On October 17, a rocket launched by Palestinian Islamic Jihad misfired and hit the Al-Ahli hospital in northern Gaza. Trey Yingst, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Dec. 2023
Noun
The five Chinese films were miles ahead of Hollywood’s sole new release in the marketplace, Sony’s superhero misfire Madame Web. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Mar. 2024 Will tonight be a total misfire, a thunderbolt of controversy, or merely mediocre? Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2024 Madame Web is one of those rare misfires that prompts one to wonder how it was made in the first place, or who it was even made for. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Our misfires may disrupt sperm whale culture, Andrews said. Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2024 The debate misfires led the commission to search for a new partner to broadcast its candidate debates. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 27 Jan. 2024 Universal endured a few misfires as well, but none were as painful. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 Jan. 2024 But can the tech behemoth keep spending big on big-screen misfires? Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Feb. 2024 In Ukraine, Western squabbles and policy misfires have given Vladimir Putin reason to hope that victory might be heading his way. Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misfire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1752, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misfire was in 1752

Dictionary Entries Near misfire

Cite this Entry

“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misfire. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

misfire

verb
mis·​fire
(ˈ)mis-ˈfī(ə)r
1
: to have the explosive or driving charge fail to ignite at the proper time
the engine misfired
2
: to fail to fire
the gun misfired
3
: to miss an intended effect
the plan misfired
misfire noun

More from Merriam-Webster on misfire

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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