1. to fail to fire or ignite properly
2. to fail to achieve the intended result or effect

1. an instance of failing to fire or ignite properly
2. a failure to achieve the intended result

Examples

• The old rifle misfired during the hunting trip.
• The engine began to misfire on cold mornings.
• His joke misfired and offended the audience instead of making them laugh.
• The marketing campaign misfired and actually hurt sales.
• The mechanic diagnosed the problem as a misfire in the third cylinder.
• The comedian’s attempt at humor was a complete misfire.
• The car shook violently due to an engine misfire.