miss
1to fail to hit or strike: to miss a target.
to fail to encounter, meet, catch, etc.: to miss a train.
to fail to take advantage of: to miss a chance.
to fail to be present at or for: to miss a day of school.
to notice the absence or loss of: When did you first miss your wallet?
to regret the absence or loss of: I miss you all dreadfully.
to escape or avoid: He just missed being caught.
to fail to perceive or understand: to miss the point of a remark.
to fail to hit something.
to fail of effect or success; be unsuccessful.
a failure to hit something.
a failure of any kind.
an omission.
a misfire.
miss out, Chiefly British. to omit; leave out.
miss out on, to fail to take advantage of, experience, etc.: You missed out on a great opportunity.
Idioms about miss
miss fire. fire (def. 55).
Origin of miss
1Other words from miss
- miss·a·ble, adjective
- un·miss·a·ble, adjective
- un·missed, adjective
Words that may be confused with miss
Words Nearby miss
Other definitions for miss (2 of 4)
(initial capital letter) a title of respect for an unmarried woman, conventionally prefixed to her name or to the name of that which she represents: Miss Mary Jones; Miss Sweden.
(used by itself, as a term of address, especially to a young woman): Miss, please bring me some ketchup.
(initial capital letter) a title prefixed to a mock surname used to represent a particular attribute of the person, especially one excessively prominent: Miss Innocent; Miss Congeniality.
a young unmarried woman; girl: a radiant miss of 18 or so.
misses,
a range of sizes, chiefly from 6 to 20, for garments that fit women of average height and build.
the department or section of a store where these garments are sold.
a garment in this size range.
Origin of miss
2usage note For miss
Other definitions for miss. (3 of 4)
mission.
missionary.
Other definitions for Miss. (4 of 4)
Mississippi.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use miss in a sentence
Myerson herself appears to have bought into that stigma, offering mixed to negative views on the miss America pageant.
Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America? | Emily Shire | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTSo, why no Jewess in the mix of more recent and diverse miss Americas?
Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America? | Emily Shire | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTHer miss America win transcended mere superficial beauty standards.
Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America? | Emily Shire | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTIn 1995, Myerson made a point not to attend the 75th anniversary of the miss America pageant.
Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America? | Emily Shire | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTNo Jewish woman has been crowned miss America since Bess Myerson won in 1945.
Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America? | Emily Shire | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
But Lucy had noted, out of the corner of her watchful eye, the arrival of miss Grains, indignant and perspiring.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsBut with all her advantages miss Solomonson failed with the old lord, and she abuses him to this day.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsThe strains of the syren at last woke her uncle, and brought back miss Hood, who suggested that it was late.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsHe, with others, thinking the miss-sahib had gone to church, was smoking the hookah of gossip in a neighboring compound.
The Red Year | Louis Tracymiss Christabel blushed furiously and emitted a sound half between a laugh and a scream.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. Locke
British Dictionary definitions for miss (1 of 4)
/ (mɪs) /
to fail to reach, hit, meet, find, or attain (some specified or implied aim, goal, target, etc)
(tr) to fail to attend or be present for: to miss a train; to miss an appointment
(tr) to fail to see, hear, understand, or perceive: to miss a point
(tr) to lose, overlook, or fail to take advantage of: to miss an opportunity
(tr) to leave out; omit: to miss an entry in a list
(tr) to discover or regret the loss or absence of: he missed his watch; she missed him
(tr) to escape or avoid (something, esp a danger), usually narrowly: he missed death by inches
miss the boat or miss the bus to lose an opportunity
a failure to reach, hit, meet, find, etc
give something a miss informal to avoid (something): give the lecture a miss; give the pudding a miss
Origin of miss
1- See also miss out
Derived forms of miss
- missable, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for miss (2 of 4)
/ (mɪs) /
informal an unmarried woman or girl, esp a schoolgirl
Origin of miss
2British Dictionary definitions for Miss (3 of 4)
/ (mɪs) /
a title of an unmarried woman or girl, usually used before the surname or sometimes alone in direct address
Origin of Miss
3British Dictionary definitions for Miss. (4 of 4)
Mississippi
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with miss
In addition to the idioms beginning with miss
- miss a beat
- miss by a mile
- miss fire
- miss is as good as a mile, a
- miss much
- miss out on
- miss the boat
- miss the point
also see:
- heart misses a beat
- hit or miss
- near miss
- not miss a trick
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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