mistake

play

verb mis·take \ mə-ˈstāk \

Definition of mistake

mistook play \-ˈstu̇k\; mistaken play \-ˈstā-kən\; mistaking

transitive verb

1 :to blunder in the choice of

mistook her way in the dark

2 a :to misunderstand the meaning or intention of :misinterpret

don't mistake me, I mean exactly what I said

b :to make a wrong judgment of the character or ability of

The army's leaders mistook the strength of the enemy.

3 :to identify wrongly :confuse with another

I mistook him for his brother

intransitive verb

:to be wrong

you mistook when you thought I laughed at you
—Thomas Hardy

—

mistakenly

adverb

—

mistaker

noun

See mistake defined for English-language learners

See mistake defined for kids

Examples of mistake in a Sentence

the auctioneer mistook my nod for a bid, and I ended up buying a painting I don't even like
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily

Recent Examples of mistake from the Web

Someone saw the glistening blade and darted inside to alert officials, mistaking Gunn's show-and-tell as an act of aggression.

— beth warren, The Courier-Journal, "‘I was scared to get sober': He dealt heroin, now he's been clean six years," 24 Aug. 2017
The weapon, known as FOBS, created a mysterious pattern in the night sky that many mistook for signs of alien visitation.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Secret Soviet Space Weapon Mistaken for a UFO," 23 Aug. 2017
People perhaps mistake his ferocious aggression for a lack of discipline.

— jim proser, National Review, "James Mattis: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy," 15 Aug. 2017
A song that Sam, if Sam is scared and hiding, won’t mistake.

— Longreads, "And How Much of These Hills Is Gold," 3 Aug. 2017
A photo of six empty bus seats in Norway prompted a heated debate in a private anti-immigrant Facebook group last week, after the group’s members mistook the empty seats for six women wearing burkas.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Anti-Immigrant Facebook Group Accidentally Gets Mad at Empty Bus Seats," 1 Aug. 2017
No one will mistake Priebus for, say, James Baker, Ronald Reagan’s supremely effective chief of staff.

— rich lowry, National Review, "Reince for President," 14 July 2017
But not before mistaking pimiento cheese at the wedding tea for meatballs.

— travis m. andrews, Southern Living, "'Jersey Belle' Hits Close To Home In Birmingham, Or Does It? (Recap)," 11 July 2017
That release included four photos that appear to be taken from their Ohio driver's licenses, but that many have mistaken for mugshots.

— carrie cochran, Cincinnati.com, "Rhoden family massacre: Wagner family tries to create new home in Alaska amid rumors," 8 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of mistake

Middle English

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

mistake Synonyms

Synonyms

misapprehend, misconstrue, misinterpret, misknow, misperceive, misread, miss, misunderstand

Antonyms

appreciate, apprehend, catch, comprehend, conceive, fathom, get, grasp, grok, know, make out, penetrate, perceive, savvy, see, seize, take in, understand

Related Words

misconceive, misdeem, misjudge; mishear

mistake

noun

Definition of mistake

1 :a wrong judgment :misunderstanding

2 :a wrong action or statement proceeding from faulty judgment, inadequate knowledge, or inattention

See mistake defined for English-language learners

Examples of mistake in a Sentence

It would be a mistake to assume that we can rely on their help.
There must be some mistake.
The manuscript contains numerous spelling mistakes.
There's a mistake in the schedule.
“When does the movie start?” “At 8:00. No, wait—my mistake—it starts at 8:30.”

Recent Examples of mistake from the Web

More recent drafts likely have been written, incorporating context and feedback from police officials, correcting mistakes in earlier drafts, and updating information.

— jsonline.com, "Trust damaged between Milwaukee police and community, Department of Justice draft report says," 30 Aug. 2017
Any minor mistakes in an individual recipe will be compounded to the nth-degree, perishable ingredients like fruit juice can turn the whole operation into a fermented mess, and citrus and sugar risk corroding the tap's materials.

— julia black, Bon Appetit, "What Is a Draft Cocktail, Anyway?," 24 Aug. 2017
Texas DT says players getting on other players for mistakesDT Hassan Ridgeway from Mansfield says Longhorns not divided inside locker room but do police themselves regarding effort and will continue to do so.

— brian gosset, star-telegram, "Mitchel, Ridgeway give the NFL a Mansfield touch," 22 Aug. 2017
Of course, there are people out there who will be harsh about good-faith mistakes.

— youth radio, Teen Vogue, "All Your Questions About Gender-Neutral Pronouns Answered," 21 Aug. 2017
One Oregon man is speaking out to make sure people don't make his mistake.

— bernadette deron, Country Living, "This Man Suffered Permanent Eye Damage From Watching a Solar Eclipse," 18 Aug. 2017
Another common mistake is sticking your brushes in a cup to dry, which causes the water to drip down into the base and onto the handle (again, water and wood don't mix well).

— brooke shunatona, Cosmopolitan, "4 Easy Steps for Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes That Every Lazy Girl Needs to Know," 18 Aug. 2017
These sorts of mistakes cost the city $300 million each year.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "New York City’s Final Frontier: Underground," 17 Aug. 2017
Pass the Sentence, Swing the Sword: One of the many (many) mistakes Daenerys made when trying to rule Meereen back in Season 5 was letting her lieutenant and boy toy, Daario, do her dirty execution work for her.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones: 8 Easter Eggs and Callbacks You Might Have Missed in “Eastwatch”," 14 Aug. 2017

Origin and Etymology of mistake

see ¹mistake

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1600

See Words from the same year

mistake Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of mistake

error, mistake, blunder, slip, lapse mean a departure from what is true, right, or proper. error suggests the existence of a standard or guide and a straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this.

- procedural errors

mistake implies misconception or inadvertence and usually expresses less criticism than error.

- dialed the wrong number by mistake

blunder regularly imputes stupidity or ignorance as a cause and connotes some degree of blame.

- diplomatic blunders

slip stresses inadvertence or accident and applies especially to trivial but embarrassing mistakes.

- a slip of the tongue

lapse stresses forgetfulness, weakness, or inattention as a cause.

- a lapse in judgment

MISTAKE Defined for English Language Learners

mistake

play

verb

Definition of mistake for English Language Learners

: to understand (something or someone) incorrectly
: to make a wrong judgment about (something)
: to identify (someone or something) incorrectly

mistake

noun

Definition of mistake for English Language Learners

: something that is not correct : a wrong action, statement, or judgment

MISTAKE Defined for Kids

mistake

play

verb mis·take \ mə-ˈstāk \

Definition of mistake for Students

mistook \mə-ˈstu̇k\; mistaken \mə-ˈstā-kən\; mistaking

1 :misunderstand

It was easy to mistake her message.

2 :to fail to recognize correctly

She mistook me for someone else.

mistake

noun

Definition of mistake for Students

1 :a wrong judgment or action

She was accused by mistake.

2 :something that is incorrect

Correct the mistakes on your paper.

Law Dictionary

mistake

noun mis·take

legal Definition of mistake

1 :an unintentional error especially in legal procedure or form that does not indicate bad faith and that commonly warrants excuse or relief by the court

the court's power to revise a judgment because of fraud, mistake, or irregularity

a clerical mistake

2 :an erroneous belief: as

a :a state of mind that is not in accordance with the facts existing at the time a contract is made and that may be a ground for the rescission or reformation of the contract

b :a misconception at the time of an offense alleged by a defendant

— mistake of fact

1 :a mistake regarding a fact or facts especially that significantly affects the performance of a contract

2 :a criminal defense that attempts to eliminate culpability on the ground that the defendant operated from an unintentional misunderstanding of fact rather than from a criminal purpose

— mistake of law

:a mistake involving the misunderstanding or incorrect application of law in regard to an act, contract, transaction, determination, or state of affairs; also :a criminal defense alleging such a mistake

Note: In both contract and criminal law a mistake of law is a weaker ground for relief or acquittal than a mistake of fact.

— mutual mistake

:a mistake common to both parties to a contract who were in agreement about the purpose or terms of the contract

reformed the contract because of a mutual mistake

— unilateral mistake

:a mistake on the part of one party to a contract that is usually not a ground for rescission or reformation unless one party stands to profit or benefit improperly from the mistake