name · noun · verb · 51 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.
General-American, Received-Pronunciation:/mɪs/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɪs
mĭs
/mɪs/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
colloquial:/ˈmɪz/
CMU ARPABET:M IH1 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
Mississippi, as used in case citations.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A failure to physically hit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
In eight shots at the target he had six misses.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A failure to obtain or accomplish something; a failure to succeed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
After four top-ten singles, the band's next release was a miss.
Your answer isn't exactly right, but it's a very close miss.
Jones put the penalty shot over the bar — what a terrible miss.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
An act of avoidance (usually used with the verb give).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I think I’ll give the meeting a miss.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Someone or something whose loss or absence is felt.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Examples
Top striker Smith is out injured and will be a big miss for United.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
The situation where an item is not found in a cache and therefore needs to be explicitly loaded.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A foul shot that fails to hit the target ball, where the player has, in the referee's judgement, not made every effort to play a legal shot; in addition to conceding points for the foul, the player can be made to play the shot again.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
noun
Meaning 13
A kept woman; a mistress.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
noun
Meaning 14
In the game of three-card loo, an extra hand, dealt on the table, which may be substituted for the hand dealt to a player.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: card-games, games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
noun
Meaning 15
A form of address, now used chiefly for an unmarried woman; used chiefly of girls before the mid-1700s, and thereafter used also of adult women without regard to marital status.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
16
noun
Meaning 16
A form of address, now used chiefly for an unmarried woman; used chiefly of girls before the mid-1700s, and thereafter used also of adult women without regard to marital status.
With a surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
These are the two young ladies that I wanted you to meet, Miss Jones and Miss Robinson.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
17
noun
Meaning 17
A form of address, now used chiefly for an unmarried woman; used chiefly of girls before the mid-1700s, and thereafter used also of adult women without regard to marital status.
With a full name.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The victim was named as Miss Jane Doe.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
18
noun
Meaning 18
A form of address, now used chiefly for an unmarried woman; used chiefly of girls before the mid-1700s, and thereafter used also of adult women without regard to marital status.
With a first name only.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, regional
Examples
Excuse me Ma'am, will Miss Julia and Miss Emily be staying for tea?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
19
noun
Meaning 19
A form of address, now used chiefly for an unmarried woman; used chiefly of girls before the mid-1700s, and thereafter used also of adult women without regard to marital status.
Used alone.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
Examples
Good morning, Miss. May I help you?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
20
noun
Meaning 20
A form of address for a female teacher or a waitress.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Excuse me, Miss, Donny's been pinching my pencils again.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
21
noun
Meaning 21
Used in title of the (female) winner of a beauty contest, or certain other types of contest, prefixing the country or other region that she represents, or the category of contest.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause to our lovely new Miss Yorkshire!
And I can now announce that this year's Miss Personality is ... Doris Miggins!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
22
noun
Meaning 22
Used in a mock title to point out some quality, or alleged quality, of a girl or woman.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, often, sarcastic
Examples
Don't ask me, ask Miss know-it-all over there.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
23
noun
Meaning 23
Initialism of medium intensity steady state.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
25
verb
Meaning 25
To fail to hit, catch, grasp, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive, physical
Examples
I fired the gun, but the bullet missed the target.
I tried to kick the ball, but missed.
She tried to grab hold of the end of the rope, but she missed.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
26
verb
Meaning 26
To avoid hitting.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive, physical
Examples
The driver swerved and just managed to miss the chicken crossing the road.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
27
verb
Meaning 27
To fail to achieve or attain.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
The company missed all its sales targets.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
28
verb
Meaning 28
To fail to experience, attend, partake, take advantage of, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
Joe missed the meeting this morning.
I usually watch the Oscars Ceremonies, but I missed it this year.
I'm starving! I missed breakfast this morning.
I only left the queue for a moment and now I've missed my turn.
This offer is too good to miss.
to miss an opportunity, to miss a chance
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
29
verb
Meaning 29
To avoid or escape.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
The car just missed hitting a passer-by.
We missed disaster by the skin of our teeth.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
30
verb
Meaning 30
To become aware of the loss or absence of; to feel the want or need of, sometimes with regret; to feel sadness at the absence of somebody or something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
I miss you! Come home soon!
I miss going for walks along the beach.
I'm not going to the party, but I don't think I'll be missed.
I had left my wallet at home, but I only missed it when I got to the metro.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
31
verb
Meaning 31
To fail to understand.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to miss the joke
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: catch
32
verb
Meaning 32
To fail to notice; to have a shortcoming of perception; overlook.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
So I'm just going over my early notes, see if I missed anything.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
33
verb
Meaning 33
To be too late to connect with or meet something or someone (a means of transportation, a deadline, etc.).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
I missed the plane!
"Is Polly still here?" — "No, sorry, you've just missed her. She left a couple of minutes ago."
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
34
verb
Meaning 34
To be wanting; to lack something that should be present (see also adjectival missing).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Qualifier: mostly continuous tenses
Examples
The car is missing essential features.
This jigsaw is missing several pieces.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
35
verb
Meaning 35
To spare someone of something unwanted or undesirable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang, transitive
Qualifier: African-American Vernacular
Examples
Miss me with that nonsense!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
36
verb
Meaning 36
To fail to help the hand of a player.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: card-games, poker
Examples
Player A: J7. Player B: Q6. Table: 283. The flop missed both players!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
37
verb
Meaning 37
To fail to score (a goal).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
38
verb
Meaning 38
To go wrong; to err.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
39
verb
Meaning 39
To be absent, deficient, or wanting.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
40
noun
Meaning 40
a form of address for an unmarried woman
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: title, title of respect, form of address
41
noun
Meaning 41
a failure to hit (or meet or find etc)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: misfire
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: failure
42
noun
Meaning 42
a young woman
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a young lady of 18
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: girl, missy, young lady, young woman, fille
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: woman, adult female
Narrower terms: baby, babe, sister, belle, bimbo, chachka, tsatske, tshatshke, tchotchke, tchotchkeleh, chit, colleen, dame, doll, wench, skirt, chick, bird, flapper, gal, gamine, Gibson girl, lass, lassie, young girl, jeune fille, maid, maiden, May queen, queen of the May, mill-girl, party girl, peri, ring girl, rosebud, sex kitten, sexpot, sex bomb, shop girl, soubrette, sweater girl, tomboy, romp, hoyden, valley girl, working girl
43
verb
Meaning 43
leave undone or leave out
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
How could I miss that typo?
The workers on the conveyor belt miss one out of ten
Narrower terms: forget, jump, pass over, skip, skip over
44
verb
Meaning 44
fail to experience
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Fortunately, I missed the hurricane
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: escape
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: avoid
45
verb
Meaning 45
fail to reach
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The arrow missed the target
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: hit
Narrower terms: overshoot, undershoot
46
verb
Meaning 46
feel or suffer from the lack of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
He misses his mother
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: desire, want
Narrower terms: regret
47
verb
Meaning 47
fail to reach or get to
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
She missed her train
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fail, go wrong, miscarry
48
verb
Meaning 48
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
I missed that remark
She missed his point
We lost part of what he said
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lose
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: overlook
49
verb
Meaning 49
fail to attend an event or activity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
I missed the concert
He missed school for a week
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: attend
Broader terms: fail, neglect
Narrower terms: cut, skip
50
verb
Meaning 50
be without
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
This soup lacks salt
There is something missing in my jewelry box!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lack
Antonyms: have
Narrower terms: want, exclude
51
verb
Meaning 51
be absent
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The child had been missing for a week
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Verb from Middle English missen, from Old English missan (“to miss, escape the notice of a person”), from Proto-West Germanic *missijan, from Proto-Germanic *missijaną (“to miss, go wrong, fail”), from Proto-Indo-European *meyth2- (“to change, exchange, trade”). Cognate with West Frisian misse (“to miss”), Dutch missen (“to miss”), German missen (“to miss”), Norwegian Bokmål and Danish miste (“to lose”), Swedish missa (“to miss”), Norwegian Nynorsk, Icelandic missa (“to lose”) and Latin mittere (“to send, let go”). Noun from Middle English misse, mis, from Old English miss (“loss, absence”), from Proto-West Germanic *miss, from Proto-Germanic *miss- (“loss”). Cognate with Scots miss (“a loss, want, cause of grief or mourning”), Middle High German misse, mis (“lack, missing, absence”), Icelandic missir (“loss”). Related also to Scots mis (“wrongdoing, sin, guilt”), Dutch mis (“misdeed, wrongdoing, mistake”), Middle Low German misse (“sin, wrong”).
From mistress.
Across languages
Translations
540 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
пропуск
(propusk)
— a failure to hit
Old Czech:
chyba
— a failure to hit
Danish:
forbier
— a failure to hit
Dutch:
misser
— a failure to hit
Esperanto:
maltrafo
— a failure to hit
Finnish:
ohilaukaus
— a failure to hit
Finnish:
ohiheitto
— a failure to hit
Finnish:
huti
— a failure to hit
Finnish:
harhalyönti
— a failure to hit
Finnish:
harhalaukaus
— a failure to hit
Finnish:
harhaluoti
— a failure to hit
French:
raté
— a failure to hit
German:
Fehlschuss
— a failure to hit
Greek:
αστοχία
(astochía)
— a failure to hit
Ancient Greek:
ἀστοχία
(astokhía)
— a failure to hit
Macedonian:
у́тка
(útka)
— a failure to hit
Macedonian:
промашу́вање
(promašúvanje)
— a failure to hit
Macedonian:
про́пуст
(própust)
— a failure to hit
Nepali:
चुक
(cuk)
— a failure to hit
Polish:
pudło
— a failure to hit
Polish:
chybienie
— a failure to hit
Russian:
про́мах
(prómax)
— a failure to hit
Spanish:
fallo
— a failure to hit
Swedish:
bom
— a failure to hit
Swedish:
miss
— a failure to hit
Turkish:
ıska
— a failure to hit
Bulgarian:
неуспех
(neuspeh)
— a failure to obtain or accomplish
Dutch:
mislukking
— a failure to obtain or accomplish
Finnish:
epäonnistuminen
— a failure to obtain or accomplish
Finnish:
moka
— a failure to obtain or accomplish
Ancient Greek:
ἀστοχία
(astokhía)
— a failure to obtain or accomplish
Russian:
неуда́ча
(neudáča)
— a failure to obtain or accomplish
Russian:
прова́л
(provál)
— a failure to obtain or accomplish
Swedish:
misslyckande
— a failure to obtain or accomplish