θroʊ ə heɪl ˈmɛəri
Sports
informal
advanced
- Literally:
- a long, desperate forward pass in American football
What does "throw a hail mary" mean?
to make a desperate, last-ditch attempt with little chance of success
Examples
- With the company near bankruptcy, the CEO threw a Hail Mary by pivoting to a completely new product.
- Filing that last-minute appeal was a Hail Mary, but it actually worked.
- Down by two goals with five minutes left, they threw a Hail Mary and pulled the goalie.
Origin
From American football. The term gained fame after Roger Staubach's 1975 playoff pass for the Dallas Cowboys.
How to use it
Used to describe desperate, low-probability attempts.
Similar expressions
last-ditch effort
long shot
desperate attempt
Opposites
safe bet
sure thing
calculated move
Related idioms
- no pain no gain
Success requires hard work and sacrifice
- ball is in your court
It's your turn to take action or make a decision
- like riding a bicycle
A skill that, once learned, is never forgotten
- drop the ball
To fail to do something important; to make a mistake
- level playing field
A situation where everyone has an equal opportunity
- on the ball
Alert and competent
Use it in a practice answer
Try "throw a hail mary" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.