wing and prayer

noun

A precarious situation; a situation whose successful outcome is hoped for but uncertain.

“His sudden career change was a bit of a wing and prayer.”

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Meanings

nounwing and prayer (plural wings and prayers)

plural wings and prayers

  1. A precarious situation; a situation whose successful outcome is hoped for but uncertain.

    His sudden career change was a bit of a wing and prayer.

  2. An approach to addressing a problem whose effectiveness is doubtful.

    The candidate’s speech had nothing to offer but wings and prayers.

Origin

From the earlier and more common phrase on a wing and a prayer.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

wing and prayer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wing%20and%20prayer

MLA

“wing and prayer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wing%20and%20prayer. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wing and prayer,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wing%20and%20prayer.

Source: wing and prayer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.