amiss

American  

[uh-mis] / əˈmɪs /

adverb

1. out of the right or proper course, order, or condition; improperly; wrongly; astray.

   Did I speak amiss?

   Synonyms:

   unsuitably, inappropriately

   Antonyms:

   properly, rightly

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adjective

1. improper; wrong; faulty.

   I think something is amiss in your calculations.

   Synonyms:

   askew, awry, erroneous, mistaken

   Antonyms:

   true, correct

idioms

1. take amiss, to be offended at or resentful of (something not meant to cause offense or resentment); misunderstand.

   I couldn't think of a way to present my view so that no one would take it amiss.

amiss British  

/ əˈmɪs /

adverb

1. in an incorrect, inappropriate, or defective manner

2. to be annoyed or offended by something

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adjective

1. (postpositive) wrong, incorrect, or faulty

amiss More Idioms  

1. see under take the wrong way.

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Etymology

Origin of amiss

1200–50; Middle English amis, equivalent to a- a- ¹ + mis wrong. See miss ¹

Example Sentences

She says one of the early clues that something was seriously amiss came when she took him to the US for specialist proton treatment.

From BBC

It previously declined to comment on the accounting issues, although it did release an independent audit that found nothing amiss.

From Barron's

And is it all a case of sensible planning - or an indicator of something amiss with Britain's rail network?

From BBC

And speaking of nutty, a handful of toasted pine nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or even chopped chestnuts never goes amiss.

From Salon

Yet something is amiss when novelists cede the role of the storyteller to ad execs and social-media influencers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• awry
• improper
• untoward