amiss

1 of 2

adverb

ə-ˈmis 

1

a

: in a mistaken way : wrongly

If you think he is guilty, you judge amiss.

b

: astray

Something had gone amiss.

2

: in a faulty way : imperfectly

practiced more so as not to play the piece amiss

amiss

2 of 2

adjective

1

: not being in accordance with right order

2

: faulty, imperfect

There's nothing/something amiss with the engine.

3

: out of place in given circumstances

—usually used with a negative

A few remarks may not be amiss here.

Synonyms

Adverb

• incorrectly
• mistakenly
• erroneously

Adjective

• defective
• bad
• imperfect

Examples of amiss in a Sentence

Adverb

I hope that my suggestion that you might be more comfortable in a larger chair was not taken amiss.

the reenactment of the Wright Brothers' first flight went amiss when the wind died on the makeshift runway and the plane stopped short in a mud puddle

Adjective

Some of his assumptions are amiss.

The doctor's examination showed that nothing was amiss.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

The whole incident -- from realizing something was going amiss to hitting the water -- only lasted one or two minutes. —Leah Asmelash, CNN, 21 Aug. 2019

This connectivity can provide a sense of brain organization, and there's a growing body of evidence that this organization goes amiss in those with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. —Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 12 Apr. 2018

Adjective

No one wants a family musical to be a genuine Greek tragedy but a genuinely engaging atmosphere and consistency wouldn’t have gone amiss. —David Benedict, Variety, 24 June 2025

As a politician, he was known for handing out his business card to constituents and urging them to call him if something was amiss. —Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English amis, from a- a- entry 1 + mis miss entry 2

Note: Compare Old Icelandic á mis "passing one another without meeting."

Adjective

Middle English amis, derivative of amis amiss entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing amiss

• not come/go amiss

Rhymes for amiss

• abyss
• chlamys
• dismiss
• premiss
• remiss
• bis
• bliss
• criss
• dis
• diss
• hiss
• kiss

Kids Definition

amiss

1 of 2 adverb

ə-ˈmis 

1

: in the wrong way

don't take this remark amiss

2

: astray sense 2

something had gone amiss

amiss

2 of 2 adjective

1

a

: not in accordance with the right order

b

: faulty, improper

something is amiss here

2

: out of place in given circumstances