Synonyms of amiss

amiss 1 of 2

adjective

1

as in defective

having a fault

that engine noise indicates that something is clearly amiss

Synonyms & Similar Words

• defective
• bad
• imperfect
• flawed
• broken
• faulty
• damaged
• incomplete
• inadequate
• insufficient
• spoiled
• on the blink
• injured
• deficient
• hurt
• fallible
• impaired
• wanting
• marred
• harmed
• disfigured
• vitiated
• blemished
• crippled
• defaced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• perfect
• whole
• complete
• entire
• intact
• faultless
• impeccable
• flawless
• unimpaired
• undamaged
• unspoiled
• unblemished

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

• wrong
• incorrect
• inappropriate
• unsuitable
• improper
• unhappy
• unfit
• irrelevant
• unfortunate
• unseemly
• incongruous
• untoward
• unbecoming
• out of place
• indecorous
• out of the way
• infelicitous
• perverse
• inapt
• unacceptable
• bad
• inapposite
• inept
• inconsistent
• unapt
• graceless
• naughty
• awkward
• malapropos
• extraneous
• forbidden
• immaterial
• unseasonable
• untimely
• inopportune
• sinful
• incompatible
• mismatched
• inapplicable
• uncongenial
• censurable
• irrelative
• blamable
• blameworthy
• prohibited
• unsatisfactory
• gauche
• barred
• disallowed
• proscribed
• ungraceful
• outlawed
• misbecoming
• interdicted
• banned

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• appropriate
• right
• correct
• proper
• fitting
• suitable
• meet
• happy
• becoming
• relative
• relevant
• fortunate
• apt
• felicitous
• timely
• fit
• opportune
• applicable
• decorous
• genteel
• pointed
• seasonable
• apposite
• permitted
• seemly
• congenial
• befitting
• harmonious
• material
• compatible
• satisfactory
• pat
• adequate
• fine
• germane
• acceptable
• authorized
• OK
• kosher
• endorsed
• apropos
• all right
• allowed
• approved
• licensed
• promoted
• tolerable
• sanctioned
• exemplary
• commendable
• supported
• decent
• encouraged
• respectable
• creditable
• passable
• balanced
• blameless
• irreproachable
• consonant
• abetted
• congruous
• companionate

amiss

2 of 2

adverb

ə-ˈmis 

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

• incorrectly
• mistakenly
• erroneously
• inappropriately
• wrongly
• inaccurately
• improperly
• unsuitably
• faultily
• inaptly
• imperfectly
• inadequately
• insufficiently
• irrelevantly
• misguidedly
• extraneously
• unsatisfactorily
• unwisely
• pointlessly
• senselessly
• undesirably
• fallibly
• meaninglessly
• foolishly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• properly
• well
• correctly
• right
• rightly
• appropriately
• suitably
• fittingly
• perfectly
• aptly
• infallibly
• sensibly
• meaningfully
• pertinently
• sufficiently
• satisfactorily
• adequately
• acceptably
• relevantly
• wisely
• prudently
• sagely
• germanely

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

• wrong
• awry
• badly
• astray
• afield
• incorrectly
• wrongly
• mistakenly
• improperly
• inappropriately
• inadequately
• insufficiently
• faultily
• unpromisingly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• well
• right
• perfectly
• aright
• properly
• favorably
• correctly
• rightly
• appropriately
• auspiciously
• suitably
• promisingly
• fittingly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of amiss

Adjective

Lum resigned from the High Museum in December after the institution’s board realized something was amiss and accused him of theft. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 14 July 2026

Grubs or Holes Holes all throughout your lawn are an obvious sign that something is amiss. — Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 12 July 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