mistake
Americannoun
-
mistakes
plural
-
an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.
- Synonyms:
- oversight, fault, erratum, inaccuracy
-
a misunderstanding or misconception.
- Antonyms:
- understanding
verb (used with object)
-
mistakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
mistook,
past
-
mistaken,
past participle
-
mistaking
present participle
-
to regard or identify wrongly as something or someone else.
I mistook him for the mayor.
-
to understand, interpret, or evaluate wrongly; misunderstand; misinterpret.
- Synonyms:
- err, misjudge, misconceive
verb (used without object)
-
mistakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
mistook,
past
-
mistaken,
past participle
-
mistaking
present participle
idioms
noun
-
an error or blunder in action, opinion, or judgment
-
a misconception or misunderstanding
verb
-
(tr) to misunderstand; misinterpret
she mistook his meaning
-
to take (for), interpret (as), or confuse (with)
she mistook his direct manner for honesty
-
(tr) to choose badly or incorrectly
he mistook his path
-
(intr) to make a mistake in action, opinion, judgment, etc
Commonly Confused
See misnomer.
Synonym Usage
Mistake, blunder, error, slip refer to deviations from right, accuracy, correctness, or truth. A mistake, grave or trivial, is caused by bad judgment or a disregard of rule or principle: It was a mistake to argue. A blunder is a careless, stupid, or gross mistake in action or speech, suggesting awkwardness, heedlessness, or ignorance: Through his blunder the message was lost. An error (often interchanged with mistake ) is an unintentional wandering or deviation from accuracy, or right conduct: an error in addition. A slip is usually a minor mistake made through haste or carelessness: a slip of the tongue.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
mistakesimple
-
mistakessimple
-
have mistakenperfect
-
has mistakenperfect
-
am mistakingprogressive
-
are mistakingprogressive
-
is mistakingprogressive
-
have been mistakingperfect progressive
-
has been mistakingperfect progressive
Past
-
mistooksimple
-
had mistakenperfect
-
was mistakingprogressive
-
were mistakingprogressive
-
had been mistakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mistake
First recorded in 1300–30; Middle English mistaken (verb), from Old Norse mistaka “to take in error.” see origin at mis- 1, take
Explanation
A mistake is an error, a goof, a slip-up. When you make a mistake, you've done something incorrectly. Mistake has a lot of uses, but they all have to do with doing the wrong thing. A mistake in math class will result in the wrong answer, but a mistake with a gun could get someone killed. If you mix up two people, you're mistaking one for the other. When you make a mistake, the best thing to do is admit it and try to make up for it; not apologizing for a mistake is another mistake.
Vocabulary lists containing mistake
"The Experiment" and "Superstition"
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"Indian Summer Sun" and "Almost Evenly Divided"
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"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That’s either a masterful, high-stakes long game of passive-aggressive behavior or a level of stubbornness and unwillingness to acknowledge a mistake that is quickly and badly damaging the show’s reputation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
But investors don’t need to abandon tech names — in fact, bailing on the sector now could prove to be an expensive mistake, especially as a valuation reset provides cheap entry points.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
But we shouldn’t mistake a system that’s still evolving for one that isn’t worth improving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Penman admitted it was a "mistake" not to question O'Brien's sister about her concerns that her brother held a "vendetta" against Cordina.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
“You will not make the same mistake again, will you, cadets?” he asked.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
He admitted to "unacceptable mistakes" without mentioning any specific cases.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Against Henderson, the Dodgers took advantage of mistakes by the Brewers’ usually fundamentally sound defense to score four runs against him, only two of which were earned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
I'm making mistakes, he's making mistakes, we're all making mistakes sometimes.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
We want our preferences remembered, our mistakes corrected and our food ready precisely when promised.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
Ray says mistakes are good, that’s how you learn.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Gaik Pobokhian, when she mistook the gas and brake pedals and hit the gas pedal “way too hard.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
During a nighttime field survey, researchers initially mistook the animal for a mushroom, highlighting just how convincing its disguise is.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
In July 1988, the USS Vincennes mistook an Iran Air commercial plane for a fighter and shot it down soon after takeoff from Dubai, killing 290 civilians.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
At least 59 detainees were freed because the system mistook them for other people.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
I just hoped there wasn’t some hunter who mistook me for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and let me have it.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
Popular student leader Neha Bora became a viral sensation after a case of mistaken identity led to police detaining her lookalike.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
A shadow can briefly resemble a face, or one object can momentarily be mistaken for another.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
Police in Evanston, Illinois, are reportedly investigating after ICE agents detained and injured a U.S. citizen on Sunday in an apparent case of mistaken identity.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
The disease is carried by the Asian citrus psyllid, a non-native insect so tiny it can be mistaken for pollen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Was there a chance the old fox had been mistaken?
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Welcome to the Paris Motor Show—though, this year, one could be forgiven for mistaking it for a China auto show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
LZ is especially sensitive to events of this kind, while its design also helps scientists reduce the chances of mistaking ordinary particle interactions for dark matter.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Traditionally, a Commonwealth-centric sport, there is no mistaking Glasgow 2026 is a major occasion for netball.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
This is an easy category error for anyone to make when talking about tourism, mistaking a country’s boundless beauty and hospitality toward visitors for anything else.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
“Hi, Sandra,” said Ms. Elmer, mistaking my primary’s name.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
