misfire

play

verb mis·fire \ ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r \

Definition of misfire

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

See misfire defined for English-language learners

See misfire defined for kids

Examples of misfire in a Sentence

their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail

Recent Examples of misfire from the Web

Fish took off the 2014 Tour to have a catheter ablation operation to correct misfiring electric impulses in his heart, then made a brief return to competitive tennis in 2015.

— erik brady, USA TODAY, "When athletes share their battles with mental illness," 31 Aug. 2017
Kizer made a few terrific throws in the scrimmage, but misfired on three shots into the end zone. *

— mary kay cabot, cleveland.com, "Brock Osweiler starting vs. Saints: What it means for him, DeShone Kizer and Cody Kessler," 7 Aug. 2017
Quarterback Drew Brees misfired on a couple of passes and visibly showed frustration, while Chase Daniel stayed in the pocket too long on a couple of play and had to rely on his feet to scramble out of the pocket.

— herbie teope, NOLA.com, "6 observations from Day 6 of Saints training camp," 2 Aug. 2017
The Carolina Panthers quarterback misfired on a couple of passes and looked very much like a passer who hadn’t participated in full-squad drills since December.

— joseph person, charlotteobserver, "Panthers quarterback Cam Newton had an off day on Thursday – until the end," 27 July 2017
In April 2015, a disabled Metro rider in Washington, D.C. was thrown onto the tracks when his wheelchair misfired.

— jeffrey sonnenfeld, Fortune, "What a Fourth of July Beach Rescue Says About America’s True Heroes," 15 July 2017
The goalkeeper, recently maligned in the soccer world after a subpar season with Manchester City, kept Portugal off the board, while his teammates were perfect in penalties, after misfiring on numerous other occasions.

— alexander abnos, SI.com, "Chile reaches third straight major final after Claudio Bravo PK heroics vs. Portugal," 28 June 2017
WHAT WENT WRONG: On three consecutive mornings, Colwell observed the engine misfiring shortly after starting the car, although the problem always sorted itself out and the car never displayed a check-engine light.

— eric tingwall, Car and Driver, "2016 BMW 740i," 16 June 2017
This snap election -- which May called to deliver a mandate to push through her own vision of Brexit and give her a massive parliamentary majority, wiping out any opposition -- has misfired from the first.

— john mcternan, CNN, "UK election: Both May and Corbyn deserve the public's contempt," 6 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misfire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of misfire

1752

misfire Synonyms

Synonyms

miscarry

Related Words

miss; break down, bust, conk (out), crash, die, fail, founder, stall; bomb, fizzle, flame out, flop, flunk, fold, wash out; flounder, struggle; decline, skid, slip, slump, tank, wane

Near Antonyms

prevail, succeed; flourish, prosper, thrive

misfire

play

noun mis·fire \ ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r , ˈmis-ˌ \

Definition of misfire

1 :a failure (as of a cartridge or firearm) to fire

2 :something that misfires

Recent Examples of misfire from the Web

The future is now for those waiting to see a turnaround, and watching Trubisky wait while Glennon misfires is confounding for Bears fans.

— brad biggs, chicagotribune.com, "If you trust the Bears, Mitch Trubisky will start — when he's ready," 22 Aug. 2017
Affleck's reluctant bank robber Doug desperately wants to redefine himself— much like Affleck, who at the time was trying to reestablish himself as a serious Hollywood player after misfires like Gigli and Jersey Girl.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "The 25 Best Heist Movies," 18 Aug. 2017
On Sunday afternoon, shoppers will find prices up to 50% off ceramic treasures, many of them seconds or slight misfires.

— greg crawford and ashley zlatopolsky, Detroit Free Press, "The week's best: Top things to do Aug. 10-16," 10 Aug. 2017
Suppose the U.S. retaliates with conventional force after Pyongyang sinks a South Korean naval vessel or misfires a test missile into Japanese territory?

— heather hurlburt, Daily Intelligencer, "Could Donald Trump Stumble Into Nuclear War With North Korea?," 9 Aug. 2017
But the effort has been marked by stumbles, including menu misfires and complaints that food was too pricey or the portions were too small.

— Fortune, "Starbucks Just Had Its Worst Stock Dive in 2 Years," 28 July 2017
While Stanton threw out two runners with pinpoint-accurate throws on Sunday, Koehler’s throwing misfire on a potential inning-ending double play came back to haunt him in the Marlins’ 6-3 setback to the Reds.

— by clark spencer, miamiherald, "Marlins lose to Reds, miss first sweep in Cincinnati in 14 years," 23 July 2017
Those two late misfires helped put the finishing touches on a deflating end to an exciting night for the Lakers, whose fans filled the Thomas & Mack Center and treated Ball, Ingram and company to multiple standing ovations.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "LaVar Ball On Lonzo's Losing Lakers Debut: 'His Worst Game Ever'," 9 July 2017
But that’s largely because Obama had to start over for two Cabinet posts, including two misfires for secretary of commerce.

— glenn kessler, Washington Post, "President Trump’s claim his nominees faced ‘record-setting long’ delays," 13 June 2017

First Known Use of misfire

1789

MISFIRE Defined for English Language Learners

misfire

play

verb

Definition of misfire for English Language Learners

of an engine : to fail to work properly because the fuel mixture burns at the wrong time
of a gun : to fail to fire properly : to fail to shoot a bullet
: to fail to have an intended effect : to fail to work properly