Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

missay

American  
[mis-sey] / mɪsˈseɪ /

verb (used with object)

missaid, missaying
  1. to say or speak ill of; vilify; slander.

  2. to say wrongly.


verb (used without object)

missaid, missaying
  1. to speak wrongly or incorrectly.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of missay

First recorded in 1175–1225, missay is from the Middle English word misseyen. See mis- 1, say 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.

See Examples For:

And in that saying how do I missay, When from the common sands Of poorest common speech of common day Thine accents sift the golden musics out!

From Sister Songs; an offering to two sisters by Francis Thompson

Spenser," he continues, "begins one of his pastorals with studied barbarity: Diggon Davie, I bid her good day; Or Diggon her is, or I missay.

From The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 1 New Edition by Alexander Pope

You should not suffer her to missay me so grievously.

From Eugene Field, a Study in Heredity and Contradictions — Volume 2 by Slason Thompson

And within a while he overtook the damosel, and anon she missaid him in the foulest manner.

From Le Mort d'Arthur: Volume 1 by Sir Thomas Malory

Alas, she said, fair Beaumains, forgive me all that I have missaid or done against thee.

From Le Mort d'Arthur: Volume 1 by Sir Thomas Malory

Nay, as thy head liveth, O chief of the Jews, none hath missaid me.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 08 by Sir Richard Francis Burton

She would amend all that she had missaid, and set his heart at ease; but he must faithfully keep the statutes, "and break them not for sloth nor ignorance."

From The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by D. Laing Purves

"Alas!" said she, weeping at his courtesy, "forgive me, fair Sir Beaumains, all that I have missaid and misdone against you."

From King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Unknown

And therefore all the missaying that ye missaid me furthered me in my battle, and caused me to think to show and prove myself at the end what I was.

From Stories of King Arthur and His Knights Retold from Malory's "Morte dArthur" by U. Waldo Cutler

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training