miscarry

verb

mis·​car·​ry ˌmis-ˈker-ē 

-ˈka-rē,

ˈmis-ˌker-ē,

-ˌka-rē

miscarried; miscarrying; miscarries

intransitive verb

1

obsolete : to come to harm

2

: to suffer miscarriage of a fetus

3

: to fail to achieve the intended purpose : go wrong or amiss

the plan miscarried

4

: to fail to reach the intended destination

the letter has miscarried

Synonyms

• misfire

Examples of miscarry in a Sentence

the scheme to save the stranded dolphins miscarried, and all were lost

Recent Examples on the Web

Sadly, Minnelli miscarried three times, once with Haley and twice with Gero. —Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 13 June 2024

On Thursday, May 16, a doctor confirmed their worst fears: The woman was miscarrying. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 10 June 2024

Milk production dropped dramatically, and some pregnant cows miscarried. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 26 Apr. 2024

Women who take drugs during pregnancy have been charged with child abuse or neglect, including in cases in which the drugs were legal; women who have miscarried after taking drugs have been charged with manslaughter, even homicide, even when no causal link was proved. —Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 4 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

miscarry

verb

mis·​car·​ry (ˈ)mis-ˈkar-ē 

1

: to have a miscarriage : give birth prematurely

2

: to go wrong

the plan miscarried

Medical Definition

miscarry

intransitive verb

mis·​car·​ry (ˈ)mis-ˈkar-ē 

miscarried; miscarrying

: to suffer miscarriage of a fetus

miscarried several times before a viable offspring was born

compare abort