misfire

1 of 2

verb

mis·​fire ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r 

misfired; misfiring; misfires

intransitive verb

1

: to have the explosive or propulsive charge fail to ignite at the proper time

the engine misfired

2

: to fail to fire

the gun misfired

3

: to miss an intended effect or objective

the new ad campaign misfired

misfire

2 of 2

noun

mis·​fire ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r 

ˈmis-ˌfī(-ə)r

1

: a failure (as of a cartridge or firearm) to fire

2

: something that misfires

Synonyms of misfire

Verb

• fail
• fall short
• miscarry
• stall
• fall flat
• come to grief

Examples of misfire in a Sentence

Verb

their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The shapeshifting director, whose credits range from the Oscar-winning romance Call Me by Your Name to the horror remake Suspiria, had worked with the company regularly, on commercial smashes (Challengers) and misfires (After the Hunt) alike. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Burrow completed three straight passes and moved Cincinnati to the Jaguars 21, but then misfired on three straight passes. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026

Noun

One year after his misfire After the Hunt opened the New York Film Festival, Guadagnino is back at the top of his game. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 6 Oct. 2026

While De Luca and Abdy had a great run at the box office last year, this year has been littered with myriad misfires including The Bride, The End of Oak Street with no movie earning more than $100M stateside. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1752, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misfire

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flier
• flyer
• friar

Kids Definition

misfire

verb

mis·​fire

(ˈ)mis-ˈfī(ə)r

1

: to have the explosive or driving charge fail to ignite at the proper time

the engine misfired

2

: to fail to fire

the gun misfired

3

: to miss an intended effect

the plan misfired

misfire noun