amiss

amiss: amiss, astray share the meaning wrong or otherwise than intended.

Amiss implies failure (as of an arrow) to reach the mark aimed at and frequently suggests a shortcoming or defect (as by failure to reach a standard, an expectation, a definite conclusion, or the point of being useful)

{
his shafts of wit went amiss
}

{
she seemed unconcerned, as though nothing had happened amiss
}

{
no information came amiss to him
}

Sometimes amiss suggests a divergence from the normal or usual order

{
whether his general health had been previously at all amiss— Dickens
}

{
“What’s amiss in the Square? ” . . . “Just now I saw a man running along Wedgewood Street”— Bennett
}

Astray emphasizes wandering from a predetermined path or the right way or course; it usually suggests moral or intellectual errancy

{
lest in temptation’s path ye gang astray— Burns
}

{
in many an hour when judgment goes astray— Wordsworth
}

Analogous words: wrong (or wrongly), *bad (or badly)

Antonyms: aright, right

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Synonyms:

Wrong, improper, faulty, erroneous, incorrect, inaccurate, Wrong, wrongly, improperly, faultily, erroneously, incorrectly, inaccurately

Look at other dictionaries:

Amiss — A*miss , adv. [Pref. a + miss.] Astray; faultily; improperly; wrongly; ill. [1913 Webster] What error drives our eyes and ears amiss? Shak. [1913 Webster] Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss. James iv. 3. [1913 Webster] {To take (an act … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
amiss — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ not quite right; inappropriate. ► ADVERB ▪ wrongly or inappropriately. ● not go amiss Cf. ↑not go amiss ● take amiss Cf. ↑take amiss … English terms dictionary
Amiss — A*miss ([.a]*m[i^]s ), a. Wrong; faulty; out of order; improper; as, it may not be amiss to ask advice. Note: [Used only in the predicate.] Dryden. [1913 Webster] His wisdom and virtue can not always rectify that which is amiss in himself or his… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Amiss — A*miss , n. A fault, wrong, or mistake. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss. Shak. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
amiss — (adv.) mid 13c., amis off the mark, also out of order, lit. on the miss, from a in, on (see A (Cf. a ) (1)) + missen fail to hit (see MISS (Cf. miss) (v.)). To take (something) amiss originally (late 14c.) was to miss the meaning of (see … Etymology dictionary
amiss — [adj] wrong; defective awry, bad, confused, crooked, erring, erroneous, fallacious, false, faulty, flawed, foul, glitched up*, haywire, imperfect, improper, inaccurate, inappropriate, incorrect, mistaken, out of order, sick, unfair, unlawful,… … New thesaurus
amiss — index astray, defective, disordered, errant, erroneous, faulty, improper, inaccurate, inappropriate … Law dictionary
amiss — [ə mis′] adv. [ME amis, on mis: see A 1 & MISS1] in a wrong way; astray, wrongly, faultily, improperly, etc. adj. wrong, faulty, improper, etc.: used only in the predicate … English World dictionary
amiss — a|miss1 [əˈmıs] adj [not before noun] [Date: 1200 1300; Origin: miss mistake, failure ] if something is amiss, there is a problem = ↑wrong ▪ Elsa continued as if nothing was amiss. amiss with/in ▪ There s something amiss in their relationship.… … Dictionary of contemporary English
amiss — [[t]əmɪ̱s[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED: v link ADJ If you say that something is amiss, you mean there is something wrong. Their instincts warned them something was amiss... Something is radically amiss in our health care system. Syn: wrong 2) PHRASE: V… … English dictionary

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amiss

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