misdeed

noun

mis·​deed ˌmis-ˈdēd 

: a wrong deed : offense

Synonyms

• breach
• crime
• debt
• error
• lawbreaking
• malefaction
• misdoing
• offense
• offence
• sin
• transgression
• trespass
• violation
• 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

The decision to drop the case against Boeing is another sign that the Trump administration could go easier on prosecution of corporate misdeeds than had been the case under the Biden administration. —Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 16 May 2025

Lansdale is a mordantly funny chronicler of Lone Star misdeeds who knows how to keep a plot furiously turning. —Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025

The Iran-Contra scandal highlights how little respect Reagan Administration officials harbored for the guardrails of democracy yet suffered few penalties for their misdeeds. —Time, 14 May 2025

Connelly is accused of a bevy of misdeeds in the letter, including instructing West on how to self-administer nitrous oxide without any medical supervision or safeguards. —Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 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