The idiom "Hail Mary" is a phrase that is used to describe a desperate or last-ditch effort to achieve something. It is often used in situations where there is little hope of success, but the person is willing to try anything to achieve their goal.
The phrase comes from the Catholic prayer "Hail Mary," which is a prayer to the Virgin Mary asking for her intercession. In American football, a "Hail Mary" play is a long, desperate pass made in the final seconds of a game when a team is losing and needs a touchdown to win.
For example, if a student has not studied for an exam and has only one day left to prepare, they might say, "I'm going to pull a Hail Mary and study all night." Or, if a company is struggling to meet its sales targets at the end of the quarter, the CEO might say, "We need to make a Hail Mary play and launch a new marketing campaign."
In short, "Hail Mary" is an idiom that is used to describe a last-ditch effort to achieve something when all other options have failed.
• When our team was losing, our coach decided to try a "hail mary" pass to win the game. (basic understanding with context)
• I don't understand what you mean by "hail mary". (basic understanding)
• The politician's proposed policy was a "hail mary" attempt to win over voters, but ultimately proved to be unsuccessful. (mastery of idiom and ability to use in complex and sophisticated sentences)
• The CEO's decision to invest in a new product line was a "hail mary" move that paid off big time. (strong understanding and ability to use idiom in complex sentences)
• I know it's risky, but sometimes you have to throw a "hail mary" to achieve success. (good understanding and ability to use idiom in context)
• As the deadline approached, the writer decided to take a "hail mary" approach and completely rewrite the final chapter. (advanced understanding and ability to use idiom in nuanced situations)