[n] a failure to hit (or meet or find etc) [n] an explosion that fails to occur [v] fail to fire or detonate; "The guns misfired"
dud, miss
abort, abortion, abortive attempt, blow up, come a cropper, come to nothing, dud, explode, fail, fail miserably, failure, fall through, fizz out, fizzle, fizzle out, flop, get nowhere, go amiss, go astray, go phut, go wrong, hang up, merry chase, miscarri