misdeed

noun

mis·​deed ˌmis-ˈdēd 

: a wrong deed : offense

Synonyms

• offence
• crime
• violation
• sin
• wrongdoing

Examples of misdeed in a Sentence

She threatened to expose to the public the misdeeds he had committed.

punished for her misdeeds by the church elders

Recent Examples on the Web

Then just pour yourself onto the couch to imbibe in the campiest of catfights that are custom-made for laughing and yelling at as the misdeeds unspool onscreen. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025

Such a misdeed might not warrant the forfeiture of multiple first round picks but could carry a meaningful penalty. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Sep. 2025

All this acrimony stemmed from a case where Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis spectacularly whiffed while attempting to criminalize rap lyrics and super glue the misdeeds of everyone Thug and Gunna knew onto them. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025

By this point, the movie’s film-noir framework reveals ample psychological, moral, and symbolic dimensions, and one that is explicitly political—the potential for police officers to abuse their power and frame others for their own misdeeds. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misdeed

• accede
• agreed
• airspeed
• alkyd
• bindweed
• chickweed
• concede
• decreed
• duckweed
• exceed
• flaxseed
• impede

Kids Definition

misdeed

noun

mis·​deed (ˈ)mis-ˈdēd 

: an evil or illegal deed