misplace
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to put (something) in the wrong place, esp to lose (something) temporarily by forgetting where it was placed; mislay
-
(often passive) to bestow (trust, confidence, affection, etc) unadvisedly
Synonym Usage
See displace.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
misplacesimple
-
misplacessimple
-
have misplacedperfect
-
has misplacedperfect
-
am misplacingprogressive
-
are misplacingprogressive
-
is misplacingprogressive
-
have been misplacingperfect progressive
-
has been misplacingperfect progressive
Past
-
misplacedsimple
-
had misplacedperfect
-
was misplacingprogressive
-
were misplacingprogressive
-
had been misplacingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of misplace
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!
Vocabulary lists containing misplace
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 1
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Keystone Exams: English Composition Glossary
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mis-
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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:
Just as robots can misplace blocks, chatbots can generate false or misleading outputs.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 5, 2026
To misplace one life-size figure of a Japanese man in native costume is perhaps careless, but to do it twice is exactly what happened at Glasgow's Museum of Transport stores in 2018.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2023
It’s proof that the 20-time Grammy winner, who settles in for eight solo shows at Seattle’s downtown jazz mecca, can misplace more gems than most mortals will ever lay down.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
The case is even handcuffed to his wrist: that way, he’ll never misplace it.
From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2023
“Do let me know if you misplace that precious souvenir again. I have eyes everywhere, all the time.”
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
One of Early’s other beloved characters, a Southern standup comedian named Vicky with a V who loves Maggiano’s restaurants and frequently misplaces her denim jacket, shares a similar tenderheartedness to Maddie.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
To opponents of the bills, including dozens of environmental and labor groups, the effort misplaces the source of building woes and instead would restrict one of the few ways community groups can shape development.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2025
Like many other people with ADHD, she often has to re-purchase items such as watches and keys because she regularly misplaces them.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2024
She’s a working mom with lots of hobbies, and when she misplaces her keys or important papers — or leaves a favorite purse at a restaurant — she becomes frustrated and irritable.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 10, 2022
He misplaces his reading glasses, the ones attached to the Dollar Store string.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
So let me offer a different lineup, since the country seems to have misplaced it.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
But, within BBC circles, there is optimism – misplaced or not - that a new PM might give a new DG renewed hope.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Pentagon officials say fears are misplaced because weapons aren’t fully autonomous—and letting technophobia hamstring commanders’ use of AI poses a bigger risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
So while analysts expect some weakness following such a strong run-up this year, some believe worries of a continued meltdown appear to be misplaced.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
I patrol the perimeter with my cart, darting in to pick up misplaced and fallen items, making everything look spiffy from the outside.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
“The IRS is not unknown for, perhaps, misplacing mail as it comes in,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
Occasionally, he has had heated arguments with the media, lambasting outlets for "misplacing" their focus.
From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026
Seventy-nine-year-old Genevieve Lane volunteered to take the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi in a clinical trial because she was forgetting words and misplacing her keys.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2024
Patterson will be used as a scapegoat but he was one running the lines and wasn't the only one misplacing crosses.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2024
She laughed aloud at herself for misplacing it.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
