Standard Lemma guide

slip-up

noun · 2 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: /ˈslɪpʌp/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A (small) error or mistake; a (minor) misstep.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • I think she will forgive an accidental slip-up, so don’t worry too much about misspeaking.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aberration, bloomer, blooper, blunder, boner, boo-boo, break, clanger, cock-up, disadventure, error, fault, faux pas, floater, flub, fluff, fuckup, gaffe, goof, howler, inaccuracy, lapse, lapsus, mess-up, misadventure, misstep, mistake, oopsy, screwup, slip, slip-up, slipup, stumble, thinko, wrength, solecism, erroneity

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a minor inadvertent mistake usually observed in speech or writing or in small accidents or memory lapses etc.

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: slip, miscue, parapraxis

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mistake, error, fault

Narrower terms: Freudian slip

History

Etymology

Deverbal from slip up.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: esnidión — a (small) error or mistake
  • Chinese Mandarin: 差錯 /差错 (chācuò) — a (small) error or mistake
  • Chinese Mandarin: 閃失 /闪失 (shǎnshī) — a (small) error or mistake
  • Chinese Mandarin: 失閃 /失闪 (shīshǎn) — a (small) error or mistake
  • Chinese Mandarin: 意外 (yìwài) — a (small) error or mistake
  • French: boulette, cafouillage — a (small) error or mistake
  • Georgian: შეცდომა (šecdoma) — a (small) error or mistake
  • German: kleines Missgeschick — a (small) error or mistake
  • German: Ausrutscher — a (small) error or mistake
  • German: Fehltritt — a (small) error or mistake
  • German: Panne — a (small) error or mistake
  • Italian: sgarro — a (small) error or mistake
  • Japanese: 落ち度 (ochido) — a (small) error or mistake
  • Manx: marranys — a (small) error or mistake
  • Māori: hēanga — a (small) error or mistake
  • Māori: tapepetanga — a (small) error or mistake
  • Māori: pakewa — a (small) error or mistake
  • Polish: wpadka — a (small) error or mistake
  • Russian: промах (promax) — a (small) error or mistake
  • Russian: ошибка (ošibka) — a (small) error or mistake
  • Spanish: desinteligencia — a (small) error or mistake
  • Spanish: despiste — a (small) error or mistake
  • Spanish: gazapatón — a (small) error or mistake
  • Spanish: marfilada — a (small) error or mistake
  • Spanish: resbalón — a (small) error or mistake
  • Spanish: vicio — a (small) error or mistake
  • Spanish: desliz — a (small) error or mistake
  • Spanish: metedura de pata — a (small) error or mistake
  • Spanish: tropezón — a (small) error or mistake
  • Spanish: traspié — a (small) error or mistake