Hail Mary
Hail Mary
Pronunciation
/heɪl ˈmɛəri/
Hail: /heɪl/
/h/: Voiceless glottal fricative
/eɪ/: Diphthong, a combination of the vowel sounds /e/ and /ɪ/
/l/: Alveolar lateral approximant
Ma-ry: /ˈmɛəri/
/m/: Bilabial nasal
/ɛə/: Diphthong, a combination of the vowel sounds /ɛ/ and /ə/
/r/: Alveolar approximant
/i/: High front unrounded vowel
Word Form Variations
Singular: Hail Mary
Plural: Hail Marys (referring to multiple prayers) or Hail Marys (referring to multiple desperate attempts, though this is less common)
Verb: To Hail Mary (as in, "He decided to Hail Mary the football into the end zone")
Gerund: Hail Marying (e.g., "The team's Hail Marying finally paid off")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary, beginning with the words "Hail Mary, full of grace."
Synonyms: Ave Maria, rosary (as in a part of the rosary)
Antonyms: N/A (this is a proper noun for a specific prayer)
Definition 2: A desperate, last-minute attempt to achieve a goal, often with little chance of success. This is typically used in sports, especially American football, but can be applied to other situations.
Synonyms: last-ditch effort, long shot, long ball, gamble, shot in the dark
Antonyms: sure thing, certainty, guarantee
Verb
Definition: To make a desperate or last-minute attempt, especially to throw a football a great distance toward the end zone with the hope of a miraculous catch.
Synonyms: gamble, risk, take a shot
Antonyms: play it safe, proceed cautiously
Adjective
Definition: Describing a desperate, last-minute action or strategy with a low probability of success.
Synonyms: last-ditch, desperate, long-shot, risky
Antonyms: conservative, cautious, surefire
Examples of Use
Noun - Definition 1 (The Prayer)
"The family knelt together, reciting the rosary, their voices a soft murmur of Hail Marys and Our Fathers."
"A small, worn prayer card tucked into her Bible contained the prayer of the Hail Mary."
Noun - Definition 2 (The Last-Ditch Effort)
"Faced with a massive budget shortfall, the company's final proposal was a financial Hail Mary to secure a government bailout."
In the final seconds of the Super Bowl, the quarterback launched a Hail Mary pass toward the end zone, hoping for a miracle." (The New York Times, February 2015)
"In the last minutes of the debate, the underdog candidate threw a political Hail Mary by challenging the front-runner's financial record." (Washington Post, October 2020)
A user on X (formerly Twitter) posted, "It's a complete Hail Mary, but I'm submitting my resume for the job anyway. You never know." (August 2024)
Verb (To Make a Last-Ditch Attempt)
"The team was down by six points with only ten seconds left; they had no choice but to Hail Mary the ball into the end zone."
"After all their other tactics failed, the legal team decided to Hail Mary with an obscure legal precedent."
Adjective (Describing a Last-Ditch Effort)
"His Hail Mary attempt to win the game with a half-court shot at the buzzer fell short."
"The scientist's Hail Mary experiment, which had a less than 1% chance of success, ended up yielding a breakthrough discovery."
An article in a tech publication described a struggling startup's new product launch as a "Hail Mary move to stay afloat in the competitive market." (Wired, June 2021)
10 Famous Quotes Using Hail Mary
"A Hail Mary is an impossible play," said Roger Staubach. "But when you believe in it, it works." (Sports Illustrated, January 1976)
"Blessed be that monotony of Hail Marys which purifies the monotony of your sins!" (St. Josemaría Escrivá)
"I can't even kill a lobster without saying a Hail Mary for it." (Johnny Iuzzini)
"You must know when you ‘hail’ Mary, she immediately greets you!" (St. Bernardino of Siena)
"A sweet and beautiful word it is, which Heaven sent to earth, and earth again returns, so frequently to Heaven!… Hail Mary!" (St. Francis de Sales)
"It doesn't matter if I threw an interception or a Hail Mary, he always says, 'Good job, son, I'm proud of you.'" (Ben Roethlisberger)
"In the last minutes of the debate, the underdog candidate threw a political Hail Mary by challenging the front-runner's financial record." (The Washington Post, October 2020)
"My Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother, so say the Hail Mary and the Rosary with confidence." (St. Padre Pio)
"Palin was a political Hail Mary, a long bomb in the closing minutes of a game that John McCain and Co. were certain to lose." (BrainyQuote)
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." (Luke 1:28, The Bible)
Etymology
The etymology of "Hail Mary" is a fascinating journey that combines religious history with modern-day, secular usage.
The term's origin is directly rooted in the Christian prayer of the same name. The first part, "Hail," comes from an old English greeting that meant "to be in good health" or "to salute." It was a way of expressing praise and respect. The second part, "Mary," refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The prayer itself is based on a passage in the Bible. In the Gospel of Luke (1:28), the angel Gabriel greets Mary with the words "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." The prayer as we know it today, however, developed over time, adding the greeting from Mary's cousin Elizabeth and an appeal for Mary's intercession. The full prayer, with the first words "Hail Mary," was in common use by the Middle Ages.
The popular, secular meaning of a "Hail Mary" as a desperate, last-minute attempt comes from the world of American football. In a crucial game in 1975, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach threw a long, last-second pass to win a playoff game. After the game, he was asked about the play and said he had closed his eyes and said a "Hail Mary" as he threw the ball. The term stuck and became widely adopted to describe any kind of long-shot, desperate effort, not just in sports but in all areas of life. The football meaning draws a parallel between the hopeful prayer for a miracle and the hopeful pass for a game-winning catch.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Hail Mary
Hail Mary pass: A long, desperate throw in American football, made in the final seconds of a game.
A Hail Mary shot: A last-ditch effort, often a long shot in a game of basketball or a similar sport.
A Hail Mary play: A final, high-risk strategy to save a situation, not limited to sports.
To go for the Hail Mary: To attempt a desperate, low-probability action.
Throw a Hail Mary: To make a last-ditch, risky effort.
Play a Hail Mary: To employ a desperate, high-risk strategy.
The Hail Mary of all Hail Marys: An exceptionally desperate or unlikely last-minute attempt.
Hail Mary defense: A defensive strategy in football designed to stop a long, last-second pass.
A political Hail Mary: A final, high-risk political move to salvage a campaign or policy.
Economic Hail Mary: A desperate and risky economic policy or decision.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of Hail Mary from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
