Standard Lemma guide

misplay

noun · verb · 5 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈmɪspleɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /mɪsˈpleɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪ

1

noun

Meaning 1

A wrong play.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • His misplay in the bridge tournament was penalized when it was noted he'd broken the rules.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To play incorrectly or poorly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I misplayed that tennis shot: I should have hit it to her right instead of her left.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

(baseball) a failure of a defensive player to make an out when normal play would have sufficed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: error

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: failure

4

verb

Meaning 4

play wrong or in an unskillful manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: play

5

verb

Meaning 5

play incorrectly, e.g., play a wrong note

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: play, spiel

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-? Proto-Indo-European *meyth2-der. Proto-Germanic *missaz Proto-Germanic *missa- Proto-West Germanic *missa- Old English mis- Middle English mys- English mis- English play English misplay From mis- + play.