mistake

[ mi-steyk ]

/ mɪˈsteɪk /

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See synonyms for: mistake / mistaken / mistakes / mistook on Thesaurus.com

noun

an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.

a misunderstanding or misconception.

verb (used with object), mis·took

[mi-stook], /mɪˈstʊk/, mis·tak·en

[mi-stey-kuhn], /mɪˈsteɪ kən/, mis·tak·ing.

to regard or identify wrongly as something or someone else:I mistook him for the mayor.

to understand, interpret, or evaluate wrongly; misunderstand; misinterpret.

verb (used without object), mis·took

[mi-stook], /mɪˈstʊk/, mis·tak·en

[mi-stey-kuhn], /mɪˈsteɪ kən/, mis·tak·ing.

to be in error.

OTHER WORDS FOR mistake

1 inaccuracy, erratum, fault, oversight.

4 misconceive, misjudge, err.

See synonyms for mistake on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR mistake

2 understanding.

See antonyms for mistake on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

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Idioms about mistake

and no mistake, for certain; surely: He's an honorable person, and no mistake.

Origin of mistake

First recorded in 1300–30; Middle English mistaken (verb), from Old Norse mistaka “to take in error.” see origin at mis-¹, take

synonym study for mistake

1. Mistake, blunder, error, slip refer to deviations from right, accuracy, correctness, or truth. A mistake, grave or trivial, is caused by bad judgment or a disregard of rule or principle: It was a mistake to argue. A blunder is a careless, stupid, or gross mistake in action or speech, suggesting awkwardness, heedlessness, or ignorance: Through his blunder the message was lost. An error (often interchanged with mistake ) is an unintentional wandering or deviation from accuracy, or right conduct: an error in addition. A slip is usually a minor mistake made through haste or carelessness: a slip of the tongue.

words often confused with mistake

See misnomer.

OTHER WORDS FROM mistake

mis·tak·er, nounmis·tak·ing·ly, adverbun·mis·tak·ing, adjectiveun·mis·tak·ing·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mistake

misnomer, mistake (see confusables note at misnomer)

Words nearby mistake

misstrike, missus, missy, mist, mistakable, mistake, mistake for, mistaken, mistakenly, mistal, Mistassini

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use mistake in a sentence

You’ve got to have the ability to block out past mistakes, or even the future.
College basketball’s kingdoms have gone haywire — in case you just started paying attention|Chuck Culpepper|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
What’s more, not every speaker may be fluent, meaning that a child hearing more languages might also hear mistakes.
Learning a second language early might have ripple effects throughout your life|Rahul Rao|February 9, 2021|Popular-Science
She tried following the instructions but made so many mistakes that “it made my whole screen just look red,” she said.
Samaira Mehta shows other kids the fun of coding by inventing board games|Gina Rich|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
UNC-Miami postponed after two Tar Heels are shown celebrating Duke win without masks“Every little mistake we made, they just took advantage of it,” Wiggins said, referencing Ohio State’s 21 points off turnovers.
Maryland misses a chance to boost its NCAA tournament hopes with a loss to No. 4 Ohio State|Emily Giambalvo|February 9, 2021|Washington Post

On Sunday, she updated her accounts to show that she had started the process of trying to remove what is presumably one of the worst mistakes of her life.
She used Gorilla Glue as hairspray. After 15 washes and a trip to the ER, it still won’t budge.|Lateshia Beachum|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
This time it would be the biggest mistake for the Western press to repeat that—absolutely the biggest mistake.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Scalise has called the talk, which he delivered in a hotel outside New Orleans, “a mistake I regret.”
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Scalise offered his contrition that he had made a mistake and apologized for appearing before a group some 12 years ago.
Reverend Jeremiah Wright Was Worse Than Scalise|Ron Christie|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Make no mistake: The technology exists—has existed for a long while—to stop this from happening.
Red Tape and Black Boxes: Why We Keep ‘Losing’ Airliners in 2014|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I made the mistake of promising one group of guys they could ask me anything if they answered my questions.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots|Emily Shire|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead of giving you a chance to say, "He has made a mistake," he forced you to say, "He has shown how to get out of a mistake."
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
My mother now tells me that she knew of this mistake, an error of the New York paper in copying the item from a Southern journal.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
I must make no mistake, and blunder into a national type of features, all wrong; if I make your mask, it must do us credit.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
They never knew how it got there, but thinking it was by mistake, Glavis took it into the house and spread it out.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
"Yes, there has been a mistake," she said peevishly, turning in with him to a small room they used as a breakfast-room.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood

British Dictionary definitions for mistake

mistake

/ (mɪˈsteɪk) /

noun

an error or blunder in action, opinion, or judgment

a misconception or misunderstanding

verb -takes, -taking, -took or -taken

(tr) to misunderstand; misinterpretshe mistook his meaning

(tr foll by for) to take (for), interpret (as), or confuse (with)she mistook his direct manner for honesty

(tr) to choose badly or incorrectlyhe mistook his path

(intr) to make a mistake in action, opinion, judgment, etc

Derived forms of mistake

mistaker, noun

Word Origin for mistake

C13 (meaning: to do wrong, err): from Old Norse mistaka to take erroneously

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 mistake

mistake

In addition to the idiom beginning with mistake

mistake for

also see:

by mistake
make no mistake

mistake

OTHER WORDS FOR mistake

OPPOSITES FOR mistake

Idioms about mistake

Origin of mistake

synonym study for mistake

words often confused with mistake

OTHER WORDS FROM mistake

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mistake

Words nearby mistake

Words related to mistake

How to use mistake in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mistake

Derived forms of mistake

Word Origin for mistake

Other Idioms and Phrases with mistake