Hail Mary

plural Hail Marys · plural Hail Maries

1. ChristianityA prayer, of established or conventional wording, calling for the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

   And if I say ten Hail Marys / Leave a light on in Heaven for me

   1987, Gary Clark, “Mary's Prayer”, performed by Danny Wilson

   1 more example

   “What did the priest, and all of you, keep on saying when we first went in?” / “Our Fathers, Hail Maries, and Glorias; couldn’t you hear?” asked Emily, laughing. / “No, I should think not, you rattled on so fast- What are Hail Maries and Glorias?” / “The Gloria you know well enough, my dear, because you say it in your church at the end of every psalm,” replied Miss Horton; “the Hail Mary is a prayer to our Blessed Lady,” and she repeated it.

   1872, F. A., chapter V, in Marion Howard; or Trials and Triumphs, Philadelphia: Peter F. Cunningham, […], page 100

   Synonyms: angelic salutation, ave, Ave Maria

2. USattributivefigurativelyusuallyA risky last-ditch effort with great benefit but little chance of success; one whose success would require divine intervention; a Hail Mary pass.

   Hail Mary deal

   5 more examples

   There are hundreds of plays and combinations, plus a great two-player mode. This guide should tell you which plays work best and when to use them. Grab a hot-dog and take to the stands for a few Hail Marys followed by a quick Toss and Pass.

   1993, Carl Rowley, “John Madden ’93”, in Official Sega Genesis Power Tips Book, volume 2, Rocklin, Calif.: Prima Publishing, →ISBN, page 46

   Silk Road was, in some sense, a last heave—a Hail Mary in the parlance of Ross's football-mad hometown.

   2015, Nathaniel Popper, chapter 6, in Digital Gold, 1st edition, New York: Harper, →ISBN, →OCLC

   Trump administration files Hail Mary appeal to derail youth climate lawsuit [title]

   2017 June 13, Natasha Geiling, “Trump administration files Hail Mary appeal to derail youth climate lawsuit”, in ThinkProgress

   SoundCloud finally secured a Hail Mary deal that included $170 million of new funding from the Raine Group and Singapore’s Temasek in August of 2017.

   2018 February 23, Janko Roettgers, “Twitter’s Annual Report Reveals That Its $70 Million SoundCloud Investment Was a Bust”, in Variety

   “I have traveled across continents to come to the jungle to do psychedelics,” marveled Mr. Gonsior, who had steered clear from drugs his whole life. “I guess this is what might be considered a Hail Mary.”

   2020 August 30, Ernesto Londoño, quoting Rudy Gonsior, “‘A Hail Mary’: Psychedelic Therapy Draws Veterans to Jungle Retreats”, in The New York Times

present singular third person Hail Marys · participle present Hail Marying · participle past Hail Maryed · past Hail Maryed

1. oftenreflexiveTo pray by saying a Hail Mary.

   Sister Cecilia Hail Maryed herself and slid back in the room.

   2015, Pamela DuMond, The Assassin

   2 more examples

   He Hail Maryed himself to sleep every night and woke up Hail Marying in the morning, and to his amazement and delight it worked.

   2003, Ray Cranley, Chip Chop Cherry, →ISBN, page 120

   I can just imagine a medical examiner standing beside my corpse, pulling the sheet back so as to expose my head and torso, and explaining to a detective, “This poor man Hail Maryed himself to death!”

   2018, Gregory Phillip Jones, 51 Years of Bipolar Disease: A Survivor's Story, →ISBN, page 168