hail mary
hail mary — noun
1. A prayer in the Roman Catholic tradition that people say to ask the Virgin Mary
A prayer in the Roman Catholic tradition that people say to ask the Virgin Mary to pray to God on their behalf.
Naoko said a Hail Mary before the exam and felt calmer afterward.
The elderly woman whispered a Hail Mary as she lit a candle in the church.
collocation: say / whisper / recite a Hail Mary
Every evening, Grandmother Nora recites three Hail Marys before bed.
At the funeral, the priest led the congregation in a Hail Mary for the family.
Renata learned the Hail Mary as a child and still remembers every word.
文法句型
say a Hail Mary
recite a Hail Mary
常見錯誤
2. A very long forward pass thrown near the end zone of a football field as a despe
A very long forward pass thrown near the end zone of a football field as a desperate final attempt to score, with only a small chance of success.
With only three seconds left, the quarterback threw a Hail Mary toward the end zone.
collocation: throw a Hail Mary
Ryan jumped as high as he could but could not catch the Hail Mary pass.
The crowd roared as the Hail Mary was caught in the corner zone.
Coach Mathieu called a Hail Mary play because the team had no time-outs left.
Anong watched the Hail Mary sail through the air and drop just out of reach.
- long bomb
informal synonym for a very long pass, but without the 'desperate last attempt' meaning
- desperation pass
refers to any last-ditch pass, not necessarily a very long one
文法句型
throw a Hail Mary
a Hail Mary pass
用法筆記
Often used outside of sports as a metaphor for any desperate final attempt with a low chance of success.