misfired; misfiring; misfires
Definition of misfire
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
nounDefinition of misfire (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a failure (as of a cartridge or firearm) to fire
2
: something that misfires
Test Your Vocabulary
Great Words for Scrabble
-
- Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share misfire
Time Traveler for misfire
The first known use of misfire was in 1752
See more words from the same year