mishap

noun

mis·​hap ˈmis-ˌhap 

mis-ˈhap

1

: an unfortunate accident

The fire was a tragic mishap that could have been prevented.

2

: bad luck : misfortune

The ceremony proceeded without mishap.

Synonyms of mishap

• accident

Choose the Right Synonym for mishap

misfortune, mischance, adversity, mishap mean adverse fortune or an instance of this.

misfortune may apply to either the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress.

never lost hope even in the depths of misfortune

mischance applies especially to a situation involving no more than slight inconvenience or minor annoyance.

took the wrong road by mischance

adversity applies to a state of grave or persistent misfortune.

had never experienced great adversity

mishap applies to an often trivial instance of bad luck.

the usual mishaps of a family vacation

Examples of mishap in a Sentence

We experienced the usual mishaps of a family vacation.

The ceremony proceeded without mishap.

The fire was a tragic mishap that could have been prevented.

Recent Examples on the Web

On Day 2, the Steelers began to recover from the phone call mishap. —Mike Defabo, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

The Ranger nameplate isn't particularly unreliable, though drivers with an impacted Ranger model should bring it in for inspection and repair as soon as possible to avoid any mishaps or issues. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026

And as someone who’s perpetually running out the door at the last minute, this has saved me from countless hours steaming and one too many fashion mishaps. —Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026

Nearly 70 households were still without water service Saturday afternoon after a construction mishap Friday left a water main contaminated, the city of Mountain View said. —Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mishap

• bandgap
• bitmap
• blackcap
• blackstrap
• bootstrap
• burlap
• claptrap
• entrap
• foolscap
• kidnap
• kneecap
• madcap

Kids Definition

mishap

noun

mis·​hap ˈmis-ˌhap 

mis-ˈhap

1

archaic : bad luck

2

: an unfortunate accident

Etymology

Middle English mishap "bad luck," from mis- "bad, unfavorable" and hap "chance, chance occurrence" — related to happen, happy, perhaps