Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. (postpositive) wrong, incorrect, or faulty

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
amiss More Idioms  

  1. see under take the wrong way.

Etymology

Origin of amiss

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

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.

As for your husband’s IRAs, something is amiss.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

"If I am not amiss, this pond 'lake' is in the countryside in a rural setting," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

In the show, Palmer and Whitehall play Samira and Rob, new parents who move back to Rob’s hometown of Hinkley Hills, a beautiful suburb where Samira immediately suspects something is amiss.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2026

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

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

I muddled through, and if God or man heard anything amiss, neither of them called me on it.

From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.