a·miss

(ə-mĭs′)

adj.

1. Out of proper order: What is amiss?

2. Not in perfect shape; faulty.

adv.

In an improper, defective, unfortunate, or mistaken way.

[Middle English amis, probably from Old Norse ā mis, so as to miss : ā, on; see an- in Indo-European roots + mis, act of missing; see mei- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

amiss

(əˈmɪs)

adv

1. in an incorrect, inappropriate, or defective manner

2. take something amiss to be annoyed or offended by something

adj

(postpositive) wrong, incorrect, or faulty

[C13 a mis, from mis wrong; see miss¹]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

a•miss

(əˈmɪs)

adv.

1. out of the right or proper course, order, or condition; wrongly: to speak amiss.

adj.

2. improper; wrong; faulty.

Idioms:

take amiss, to be mistakenly offended at or resentful of; misunderstand.

[1200–50; Middle English amis=a- a-¹ + mis wrong. See miss¹]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.	1.	amiss - not functioning properly; "something is amiss"; "has gone completely haywire"; "something is wrong with the engine" awry, haywire, wrong malfunctioning, nonfunctional - not performing or able to perform its regular function; "a malfunctioning valve"
Adv.	1.	amiss - away from the correct or expected course; "something has gone awry in our plans"; "something went badly amiss in the preparations" awry
	2.	amiss - in an improper or mistaken or unfortunate manner; "if you think him guilty you judge amiss"; "he spoke amiss"; "no one took it amiss when she spoke frankly"
	3.	amiss - in an imperfect or faulty way; "The lobe was imperfectly developed"; "Miss Bennet would not play at all amiss if she practiced more"- Jane Austen imperfectly

amiss

adjective wrong, mistaken, confused, false, inappropriate, rotten, incorrect, faulty, inaccurate, unsuitable, improper, defective, out of order, awry, erroneous, untoward, fallacious Their instincts warned them something was amiss.
wrong right, true, perfect, in order, correct, appropriate, suitable, accurate, proper, O.K. or okay (informal)

not go amiss be welcome, be appropriate, go down well A bit of kindness wouldn't go amiss.

take something amiss as an insult, wrongly, as offensive, out of turn He took it amiss when I asked to speak to someone else.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

amiss

adjective

Not in accordance with what is usual or expected:

astray, awry, sour, wrong.

adverb

Not in the right way or on the proper course:

afield, astray, awry, wrong.

Translations

بِطَريقَة خاطِئَه

špatný

forkertgal

úr lagi

offendersi prendere in mala parte qualcosa non va

blogasnesėkmingas

kļūdainsnepareizs

feilslått galt

hatalı yanlış

有差错的

amiss

[əˈmɪs]

A. ADJ there's something amiss → pasa algo
something is amiss in your calculations → algo falla en tus cálculos
have I said something amiss? → ¿he dicho algo inoportuno?
there was nothing amiss that I could see → por lo que vi, todo estaba bien

B. ADV don't take it amiss, will you? → no lo tomes a mal → no te vayas a ofender
a lick of paint wouldn't go or come amiss → una mano de pintura no vendría mal
a little politeness wouldn't go or come amiss → un poco de educación no estaría de más, no vendría mal un poco de educación

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

amiss

[əˈmɪs]

adj
there is something amiss, something is amiss → il y a quelque chose qui ne va pas, il y a quelque chose qui cloche, quelque chose ne va pas
something is amiss with sb/sth → il y a quelque chose qui cloche avec qn/qch
there is nothing amiss → il n'y a rien qui cloche
nothing is amiss with sb/sth → il n'y a rien qui cloche avec qn/qch

adv
to take sth amiss → prendre qch mal, prendre qch de travers
sth would not go amiss, sth would not come amiss (British) → qch ne ferait pas de mal

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

amiss

adj pred there’s something amiss → da stimmt irgendetwas nicht; what’s amiss with you? (liter) → was fehlt Ihnen (denn)?

adv to take something amiss (Brit) → (jdm) etw übel nehmen; to speak amiss of somebody → schlecht über jdn sprechen; to say something amiss → etwas Falsches or Verkehrtes sagen; a drink would not come or go amiss → etwas zu trinken wäre gar nicht verkehrt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

amiss

[əˈmɪs] adj & adv there's something amiss → c'è qualcosa che non quadra
don't take it amiss → non avertene a male

amiss

(əˈmis) adjective

wrong. Their plans went amiss.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Meed thanked them all and "gave them cups of clean gold and pieces of silver, rings with rubies and riches enough." And pretending to be sorry for all that she had done amiss, Meed confessed her sins and was forgiven.

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You will not take it amiss if I express my strong disapproval of your allowing yourself, on any pretense whatever, to be mixed up for the future with your sister's proceedings.

View in context

'I don't understand you, Arthur (at least I hope I don't): pray tell me what I have done or said amiss.'

View in context

Nothing came amiss to them, from Manchester cotton manufactures to Smyrna figs.

View in context

As there are very many species of democracies, as well as of other states, it will not be amiss to consider at the same time anything which we may have omitted to mention concerning either of them, and to allot to each that mode of conduct which is peculiar to and advantageous for them; and also to inquire into the combinations of all these different modes of government which we [1317a] have mentioned; for as these are blended together the government is altered, as from an aristocracy to be an oligarchy, and from a free state to be a democracy.

View in context

Perhaps it is only by a kink in my nature, strong in me even in those days, that I felt in such an existence, the share of the great majority, something amiss. I recognised its social values, I saw its ordered happiness, but a fever in my blood asked for a wilder course.

View in context

But his strength soon began to fail him, and looking about him, conscious of having said much that was amiss, he again got into his caleche and drove back in silence.

View in context

The bricklayer came and pulled up a great many bricks, but found nothing amiss; so he put down some lime and charged the master five shillings, and the smell in my box was as bad as ever.

View in context

There was something amiss with Mr Lightwood, for he was strangely grave and looked ill.

View in context

This was especially to be remarked if any one attempted to impose upon, or domineer over, his favourite: he was painfully jealous lest a word should be spoken amiss to him; seeming to have got into his head the notion that, because he liked Heathcliff, all hated, and longed to do him an ill-turn.

View in context

And because these cunning men, are like haberdashers of small wares, it is not amiss to set forth their shop.

View in context

I would write to him myself, but have mislaid his direction; and, as I hinted above, am afraid he took something in my conduct amiss. Pray explain everything to his satisfaction; or, if he still harbours any doubt, a line from himself to me, or a call at Putney when next in town, might set all to rights.

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