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
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
The local misses what could have been if they had moved someplace distant and different.
It also completely misses the reason Dunham wrote “Barry” in the first place.
Besides the mendacity of it all, such a scheme misses the obvious truth that “the audience has a mind of its own.”
The Insane Swedish Plan to Rate Games for Sexism | Nick Gillespie | November 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSay sometime in 2017, President Clinton misses getting some progressive bill passed in the Senate by two votes.
His supporters hosted a men-only fundraiser with this admonition on the invitation: “Tell the misses not to wait up.”
The Republican War on Women Continues, Just More Quietly | Eleanor Clift | October 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Misses Sleek carried their point; had there been a Mrs. Warrender, their success would have been more than doubtful.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3) | Charles James WillsThere had been a succession of battles royal between the Misses Sleek and their papa over the haymaking party.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3) | Charles James Wills"The Misses and Mr. Talbot" were presented in due form to the stranger, who had risen to leave the room.
Alone | Marion HarlandJust the same as washing, but one misses it somehow, that is all, even when one is eating covered with mud.
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie | George Brenton LaurieThis scarcity is a double loss to residents and visitors, for one misses it both for use and beauty.
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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