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

Polls show a decently-sized minority of Democrats believing that something was amiss when Trump won every swing state. —David Weigel, semafor.com, 11 July 2025

That Click called for a review of this team’s return-to-play policies is evidence enough something is amiss. —Chandler Rome, New York Times, 10 July 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