amiss

adverb \ ə-ˈmis \

Definition of amiss

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

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Examples of amiss in a Sentence

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

Origin and Etymology of amiss

see ¹miss

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

amiss Synonyms

Synonyms

wrongly, erroneously, faultily, improperly, inaccurately, inappropriately, inaptly, incorrectly, mistakenly, unsuitably

Antonyms

appropriately, aptly, correctly, fittingly, properly, right, rightly, suitably, well

Related Words

misguidedly; fallibly, imperfectly; extraneously, irrelevantly, meaninglessly, pointlessly, senselessly; inadequately, insufficiently; undesirably, unsatisfactorily; foolishly, unwisely

Near Antonyms

infallibly, perfectly; germanely, meaningfully, pertinently, relevantly, sensibly; acceptably, adequately, satisfactorily, sufficiently; prudently, sagely, wisely

amiss

adjective

Definition of amiss

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.

See amiss defined for English-language learners

Examples of amiss in a Sentence

Some of his assumptions are amiss.
The doctor's examination showed that nothing was amiss.

Recent Examples of amiss from the Web

If something is amiss, Cognition Builders can provide instant direction on how to remedy the situation, either verbally through a microphone in the camera or by sending a text to the parent.

— kim brooks, The Cut, "Parents Who Pay to Be Watched," 22 Aug. 2017
QuickTake Q&A on HNA -- a curious company New York lawyer Allen Wu, who represents HNA and the charity, said the nonprofit hasn’t yet received the letter from Schneiderman, but that nothing is amiss.

— erik larson, Bloomberg.com, "HNA's NYC Charity Owner Told by A.G. to Register With State," 27 July 2017
A Nissan dealer in Iowa investigated, determined nothing serious was amiss, and then cleared the fault code and topped off the engine coolant, some of which had curiously vanished on our drive, before giving us the okay to carry on.

— mike sutton, Car and Driver, "2016 Nissan Titan XD Diesel," 10 July 2017
A less obtuse president might notice something amiss in comparing the challenges of the wealthy and powerful nations of the West today to the desperate and doomed struggle of the Polish Home Army.

— david frum, The Atlantic, "The Falsehood at the Core of Trump's Warsaw Speech," 7 July 2017
But operating the camera pointed at costar Dane DeHaan (who plays the title character, Valerian), Besson himself sees nothing amiss.

— adam rogers, WIRED, "Luc Besson Tests the Outer Limits With Sci-Fi Epic Valerian," 6 July 2017
Mexican American chef Pati Jinich notes that the nutty flavor is enhanced by a topping of toasted coconut flakes or nuts – and a drizzle of chocolate syrup would not be amiss.

— kristen hartke, sacbee.com, "Avocado has a sweet side, and it’s delicious," 4 July 2017
Equipment used to monitor Entergy New Orleans substations informed the company that something was amiss at one of the stations Thursday morning, said Melonie Stewart, director of customer service at Entergy.

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "Power returns as Entergy repairs vandalized New Orleans substation," 29 June 2017
The sheriff's deputy responding to the home noticed signs that something was amiss and so began looking around the tiny farmhouse and wooded lot, Dashiell said.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Was pilot sought in triple murder entangled in love triangle?," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amiss.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.