1. An explosion that fails to occur
   "The misfire of the rocket left the launch team puzzled";
   - dud
    
2. A failure to hit (or meet or find etc.)
   "The engine's misfire alerted the mechanic to a problem";
   - miss

1. Fail to fire or detonate
   "The guns misfired"

Derived forms: misfired, misfiring, misfires

Type of: break, break down, breakdown, conk out [informal], die, equipment failure, fail, failure, give out, give up the ghost [informal], give way, go, go bad, pack up [Brit, informal]

Encyclopedia: Misfire