misdeed
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of misdeed
before 900; Middle English misdede, Old English misdǣd. See mis- 1, deed
Explanation
A misdeed is a type of bad behavior, especially behavior that's immoral. If you get caught stealing someone’s lunch, you’ll be punished for your misdeed. A deed is an action, and a misdeed is a specific type of action. It’s one that's wicked, unethical, illegal, or just plain wrong. It’s the opposite of a good deed. Cheating on a test is a misdeed. So is cheating on your spouse. Stealing is a misdeed, as is any other crime. Politicians get caught in scandals when their misdeeds are discovered, such as lying or taking bribes. It’s from the Old English misdæd for "sin, evil.”
Vocabulary lists containing misdeed
Boy: Tales of Childhood
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"The Hero’s Journey" and "Myths and Legends"
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"Is 16 Too Young to Drive a Car?" by Robert Davis
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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.
"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
Official wrist-slaps and “wet smooches” delivered to corporate leaders by federal regulators and prosecutors are the rule, no matter how egregious the misdeed — even when it’s as bad as the Wells Fargo customer fraud.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2024
Over the next few months, I evaluated four other clients with a very similar picture: young queer adults torturing themselves with obsessional thinking about a sexuality-related misdeed from their remote past.
From Slate • Jun. 13, 2022
“If there has been a misdeed, probably a disquieted conscience will go on and on,” The A.P. quoted him as saying at the service.
From New York Times • Mar. 15, 2022
No more teachers were denounced directly, but two or three were made to stand up in assembly and apologize for this or that misdeed.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
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.
