misfire

Meaning

Noun

1. An act of misfiring.
2. A failure.

Verb

1. To fail to discharge properly.
2. To fail to ignite in the proper sequence.
3. To initiate an action potential without the proper stimulus.
4. To fail to achieve the anticipated result.

Synonyms

miss

dud

failure

failing

fizzle

flivver

flop

flunk

go wrong

misfiring

naught

setback

miss a target

washout

abortion

miscarriage

miss-fire

non event

bust

a near miss

defection

fail

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɪs.faɪ(ɹ)/

Etymology

Either a univerbation of earlier miss fire, or the compound mis- + fire (or possibly a confluence of both).