mistake

1 of 2

verb

mis·​take mə-ˈstāk 

mistook mə-ˈstu̇k  ; mistaken mə-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

mistake

2 of 2

noun

1

: a wrong judgment : misunderstanding

2

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

Synonyms

Verb

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

Noun

• misapprehension
• miscalculation
• misjudging
• misjudgment
• misstep
• slip
• slipup

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of mistake in a Sentence

Verb

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

Noun

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 on the Web

Verb

Kayla Nicole is asking social media trolls to leave her alone after her post on social media was mistaken for a slight against Taylor Swift. —Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024

Bacteria on plastic can give coral diseases. D) All of above Answer: D. Plastic tends to float, and bobbing on the surface can lead it to be mistaken for other marine life. —Kurt Snibbe, Orange County Register, 18 Apr. 2024

According to People, while dressed in her SVU gear, the little girl mistook Hargitay for a real-life police officer. —Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024

And while coyotes can occasionally mistake small, unattended pets like cats and dogs as prey, these incidents are also rare. —Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024

There was a time not too long ago when the California legislation, introduced on Monday, April 1, might have been easily mistaken for an April Fool’s joke. —Allison Morrow, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

At a bar one evening, he’s approached by a private investigator (a criminally underused Bokeem Woodbine), who mistakes Tom for a friend of his wealthy client’s son. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024

As the key detail to even the most dramatic hair looks (as seen on FKA Twigs), the strong-hold styling product is used daily with brands like Moco de Gorila’s Gorilla Snot Gel (not to be mistaken for gorilla glue) and Got2B Glued Styling Gel as beauty supply store front runners. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 11 Apr. 2024

Evelyn had initially mistaken the throbbing for gallbladder pain. —Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024

Noun

Asking why eliminates confusion and reduces the chance for mistakes, wasting time, and money. —Jeffrey Marks, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2024

World leaders have made similar mistakes in UN climate talks. —Judith Enck, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024

Rather than coming from an innovative tendency, Collison said that his predisposition to writing things down was driven by a desire to learn from his mistakes. —Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 23 Apr. 2024

Kaelin, who took the stand earlier in the trial, recalls Walters nodding her head in response to his initial reaction that the jury made a mistake. —Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024

The city will take a lead role from here on in trying to keep the teams happy, by learning from others’ mistakes. —Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024

Thankfully, Toyota realized its mistake, providing us with an all-new Land Cruiser after a three-year hiatus in the United States. —Elizabeth Blackstock / Jalopnik, Quartz, 21 Apr. 2024

Over this span of history, not one declining empire seemed to learn from the forestry mistakes of their predecessors. —Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024

And a recent study in Arizona (first reported by The Washington Post) found that less than 1% of noncitizens attempt to register to vote, and even in those cases, the vast majority are thought to be mistakes. —Miles Parks, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mistake

• and no mistake
• by mistake
• honest mistake
• make no mistake

Kids Definition

mistake

1 of 2 verb

mis·​take mə-ˈstāk 

mistook -ˈstu̇k  ; mistaken -ˈstā-kən  ; mistaking

1

: to understand wrongly : misinterpret

mistook my meaning

2

: to estimate incorrectly

mistook the strength of the enemy

3

: to identify wrongly

mistook me for her

mistakenly adverb

mistake

2 of 2 noun

1

: a wrong judgment : misunderstanding

2

: a wrong action or statement

Legal Definition

mistake

noun

mis·​take

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

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

: 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