1
as in defective
having a fault
that engine noise indicates that something is clearly amiss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrong
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
official recognition would not be amiss after that spectacular effort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in incorrectly
in a mistaken or inappropriate way
I hope that my suggestion that you might be more comfortable in a larger chair was not taken amiss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awry
off the desired or intended path or course
the reenactment of the Wright Brothers' first flight went amiss when the wind died on the makeshift runway and the plane stopped short in a mud puddle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of amiss
Holly McDede, ProPublica, 12 May 2026
Roses will give off signs when something is amiss.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
Leah Asmelash, CNN, 21 Aug. 2019
This connectivity can provide a sense of brain organization, and there's a growing body of evidence that this organization goes amiss in those with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.
—Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 12 Apr. 2018
See All Example Sentences for amiss
Adjective
This would be the only visible clue schools would have of anything amiss in Agan’s work history.
—Holly McDede, ProPublica, 12 May 2026
Roses will give off signs when something is amiss.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
The whole incident -- from realizing something was going amiss to hitting the water -- only lasted one or two minutes.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 21 Aug. 2019
This connectivity can provide a sense of brain organization, and there's a growing body of evidence that this organization goes amiss in those with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.
—Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 12 Apr. 2018
See All Example Sentences for amiss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amiss
Adjective
-
The Federal Trade Commission’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule requires sellers to deliver merchandise as promised or issue a prompt refund when a product is defective or undelivered.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
-
These were chips with one defective GPU core that Apple reportedly retained from the iPhone production for MacBook Neo.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The following seasons saw a wrong turn and regression to the point where many supporters gave up.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
For most people, this is where the cocktail goes wrong.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
16 May 2026
Adverb
-
All 20 of those vendors showed some issue with accuracy or completeness in at least one of these simple tests, including nine that hallucinated patient information, 12 that recorded information incorrectly, and 17 that missed key details about discussed mental health issues.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, 12 staff members at a Dutch hospital where a hantavirus patient is being treated were told to quarantine after incorrectly handling bodily fluids.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
West Ham showed themselves to be a bad team, less than the sum of their parts and wholly ill-equipped for the challenge in front of them.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Each reiteration and exaggeration of Mary’s bad behavior is another civic stroke of the chisel that perfects the monumental Lincoln in our collective imagination.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Vanegas, who has lived at Forest View Mobile Home park for two years, stood at the culmination of a nearly yearlong effort to save the park after Blue Island officials ordered the property owners to evict residents, citing unsafe conditions, incorrect zoning, unpaid water debt and code violations.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
Similarly unimpressive, if not technically incorrect, is Sieger’s dish.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
Adverb
-
But security personnel mistakenly attributed that alarm to a herd of deer that was nearby.—
Mead Gruver,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
The officers did not say why the crowd seemed hostile to police, but did not disagree when one of the attorneys suggested that people streaming from the bars into gunfire that night may have mistakenly thought that law enforcement started the shooting.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Adverb
-
While some African countries are major oil and gas producers, the continent imports the vast majority of its fuels, leaving it badly exposed to foreign energy shocks.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
-
The man died immediately, but his body badly damaged one of the jet engines.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Everything is imperfect and volatile.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
While there is a spread in scores, many medical educators say MCAT scores are an imperfect measure of a person’s potential as a physician.—
Anil Oza,
STAT,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amiss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amiss. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
