Standard Lemma guide

miscarry

verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK, US: /ˌmɪsˈkæɹi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æɹi

1

verb

Meaning 1

To have an unfortunate accident of some kind; to be killed, or come to harm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To go astray; to do something wrong.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To have a miscarriage; to involuntarily abort a foetus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To fail to achieve some purpose; to be unsuccessful, to go wrong (of a business, project etc.).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

Of a letter etc.: to fail to reach its intended recipient.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

suffer a miscarriage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: carry to term

Broader terms: abort

7

verb

Meaning 7

be unsuccessful

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Where do today's public schools fail?
  • The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fail, go wrong

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: take it on the chin, miss, overreach, botch, bodge, bumble, fumble, botch up, muff, blow, flub, screw up, ball up, spoil, muck up, bungle, fluff, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, bobble, mishandle, louse up, foul up, mess up, fuck up, strike out, fall, shipwreck, fall through, fall flat, founder, flop

History

Etymology

From Middle English miscarien. By surface analysis, mis- + carry.

Across languages

Translations

52 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَجْهَضَ (ʔajhaḍa) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Armenian: վիժել (vižel) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Bashkir: һалыу (halıw) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Bashkir: төшөрөү (töşöröw) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Bulgarian: помятам (pomjatam) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Bulgarian: пометна (pometna) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Bulgarian: абортирам (abortiram) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Czech: potratit — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Dutch: een miskraam hebben — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Dutch: een miskraam krijgen — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Finnish: saada keskenmeno — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • French: faire une fausse couche — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Galician: abortar — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Galician: espoltrar — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Galician: malparir — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • German: eine Fehlgeburt haben — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Greek: αποβάλλω (apovállo) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Hebrew: הִפִּיל (hippíl) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Hungarian: elvetél — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Ido: abortar — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Irish: beir go hanabaí — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Irish: scar le clann — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Italian: abortire — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Latin: aborior — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Malay: gugur — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Māori: tahe — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Norwegian Bokmål: abortere — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Norwegian Bokmål: spontanabortere — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Polish: ronić — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Polish: poronić — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Portuguese: abortar — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Russian: име́ть вы́кидыш (imétʹ výkidyš) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Swedish: få missfall — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Thai: แท้ง (tɛ́ɛng) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Urdu: حمل ساقط ہونا (hamal sāqit honā) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Urdu: حمل اسقاط ہونا (hamal isqāt honā) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Urdu: حمل ضائع ہونا (hamal zā'e honā) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Urdu: حمل گرنا (hamal girnā) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Urdu: پیٹ گرنا (peṭ girnā) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Urdu: اخراج جنین ہونا (ixrāj-e-janīn honā) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Welsh: golli — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Yiddish: מפּלען (maplen) — to involuntarily abort a foetus
  • Bulgarian: не сполучвам (ne spolučvam) — to fail to achieve
  • Danish: mislykkes — to fail to achieve
  • Dutch: mislukken — to fail to achieve
  • Finnish: epäonnistua — to fail to achieve
  • Galician: gorar — to fail to achieve
  • German: misslingen — to fail to achieve
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mislykkes — to fail to achieve
  • Russian: терпеть неудачу (terpetʹ neudaču) — to fail to achieve
  • Russian: потерпеть неудачу (poterpetʹ neudaču) — to fail to achieve
  • Swedish: misslyckas — to fail to achieve