misplace

American  

[mis-pleys] / mɪsˈpleɪs /

verb (used with object)

misplaced, misplacing

1. to put in a wrong place.

2. to put in a place afterward forgotten; lose; mislay.

3. to place or bestow improperly, unsuitably, or unwisely.

   to misplace one's trust.

   Synonyms:

   misapply

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misplace British  

/ ˌmɪsˈpleɪs /

verb

1. to put (something) in the wrong place, esp to lose (something) temporarily by forgetting where it was placed; mislay

2. (often passive) to bestow (trust, confidence, affection, etc) unadvisedly

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Related Words

See displace.

Other Word Forms

• misplacement
  noun

Etymology

Origin of misplace

First recorded in 1545–55; mis- ¹ + place

Explanation

When you misplace your car keys, you can't remember where you put them. In other words, you temporarily lose them. You can use the verb misplace when you can't find something. If you misplace your favorite coffee cup, you'll be annoyed, but if you misplace your wallet it could cause you real problems. The word implies that the object isn't gone for good, but that you unthinkingly put it down somewhere. When you combine the prefix mis-, which means "bad or wrong," and place, you get misplace — as in placing something in a bad spot!

Example Sentences

Misplace, mis-plās′, v.t. to put in a wrong place: to set on an improper object.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

Related Words

• confuse
• disorganize
• disturb
• unsettle