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Synonyms

misdeed

American  
[mis-deed] / mɪsˈdid /

noun

  1. an immoral or wicked deed.

    Synonyms:
    fault, transgression, offense
misdeed British  
/ ˌmɪsˈdiːd /

noun

  1. an evil or illegal action

"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

Etymology

Origin of misdeed

before 900; Middle English misdede, Old English misdǣd. See mis- 1, deed

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.

"Taaf suggested that I might want to offer up an apology for my life", King wrote, "but an apology assumes a crime, an offence, a misdeed".

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025

He’s full-throatedly defending his partner, famed computational designer Neri Oxman, from reports that she committed the very misdeed Ackman disparaged Gay for: plagiarism in her academic work.

From Slate • Jan. 10, 2024

Satire is generally incurious of motive, unconcerned about the conditions that produced whatever distortion of personality, misdeed or excess it targets for opprobrium.

From New York Times • May 13, 2022

I scanned my memory for every possible misdeed.

From Washington Post • May 13, 2022

Both the old artist and the former beauty had long forgotten his misdeed.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

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.