Amiss — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb adjective /ə-ˈmis/

Meaning & Definition of Amiss

Amiss (adverb)

  1. in a mistaken way, wrongly
  2. astray
  3. in a faulty way, imperfectly

Amiss (adjective)

  1. not being in accordance with right order
  2. faulty, imperfect
  3. out of place in given circumstances —usually used with a negative

Amiss (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having a fault

    "that engine noise indicates that something is clearly amiss"

    similar: bad, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, on the blink
    related: fallible, blemished, broken, crippled, damaged, defaced, disfigured, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, marred, spoiled, vitiated, deficient, inadequate, incomplete, insufficient, wanting
    opposite: faultless, flawless, impeccable, perfect
    near: complete, entire, intact, whole, unblemished, undamaged, unimpaired, unspoiled

  2. not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation

    "official recognition would not be amiss after that spectacular effort"

    similar: graceless, improper, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, incorrect, indecorous, inept, infelicitous, malapropos, perverse, unapt, unbecoming, unfit, unhappy, unseemly, unsuitable, untoward, wrong, out of place, out of the way
    related: inopportune, unfortunate, unseasonable, untimely, extraneous, immaterial, inapplicable, irrelative, irrelevant, misbecoming, mismatched, incompatible, inconsistent, uncongenial, bad, naughty, sinful, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, banned, barred, disallowed, forbidden, interdicted, outlawed, prohibited, proscribed, awkward, gauche, ungraceful, unacceptable, unsatisfactory
    opposite: appropriate, becoming, befitting, correct, decorous, felicitous, fit, fitting, genteel, happy, meet, proper, right, seemly, suitable
    near: fortunate, opportune, seasonable, timely, applicable, apposite, apropos, apt, germane, material, pat, pointed, relative, relevant, compatible, congenial, harmonious, allowed, authorized, permitted, approved, endorsed, kosher, licensed, sanctioned, abetted, encouraged, promoted, supported, acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, fine, OK, passable, respectable, satisfactory, tolerable, commendable, creditable, exemplary, blameless, irreproachable, balanced, companionate, congruous, consonant

Amiss (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. in a mistaken or inappropriate way

    "I hope that my suggestion that you might be more comfortable in a larger chair was not taken amiss"

    similar: erroneously, faultily, improperly, inaccurately, inappropriately, inaptly, incorrectly, mistakenly, unsuitably, wrongly
    related: misguidedly, fallibly, imperfectly, extraneously, irrelevantly, meaninglessly, pointlessly, senselessly, inadequately, insufficiently, undesirably, unsatisfactorily, foolishly, unwisely
    opposite: appropriately, aptly, correctly, fittingly, properly, right, rightly, suitably, well
    near: infallibly, perfectly, germanely, meaningfully, pertinently, relevantly, sensibly, acceptably, adequately, satisfactorily, sufficiently, prudently, sagely, wisely

  2. off the desired or intended path or course

    "the reenactment of the Wright Brothers' first flight went amiss when the wind died on the makeshift runway and the plane stopped short in a mud puddle"

    similar: afield, astray, awry, wrong
    related: badly, faultily, improperly, inappropriately, incorrectly, mistakenly, wrongly, inadequately, insufficiently, unpromisingly
    opposite: aright, right, well
    near: perfectly, auspiciously, favorably, promisingly, correctly, properly, rightly, appropriately, fittingly, suitably

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Amiss

The most common words with a similar meaning to Amiss:

bad, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, graceless, improper, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, incorrect, indecorous, inept, infelicitous, malapropos, perverse, unapt, unbecoming, unfit, unhappy, unseemly, unsuitable, untoward, wrong, on the blink, out of place, out of the way, erroneously, faultily, improperly, inaccurately, inappropriately, inaptly, incorrectly, mistakenly, unsuitably, wrongly, afield, astray

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Amiss

Words with the opposite meaning of Amiss:

faultless, flawless, impeccable, perfect, appropriate, becoming, befitting, correct, decorous, felicitous, fit, fitting, genteel, happy, meet, proper, right, seemly, suitable, appropriately, aptly, correctly, fittingly, properly, rightly, suitably, well, aright

Related Words for Amiss

fallible, blemished, broken, crippled, damaged, defaced, disfigured, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, marred, spoiled, vitiated, deficient, inadequate, incomplete, insufficient, wanting, inopportune, unfortunate, unseasonable, untimely, extraneous, immaterial, inapplicable, irrelative, irrelevant, misbecoming, mismatched

Near Antonyms of Amiss

complete, entire, intact, whole, unblemished, undamaged, unimpaired, unspoiled, fortunate, opportune, seasonable, timely, applicable, apposite, apropos, apt, germane, material, pat, pointed, relative, relevant, compatible, congenial, harmonious, allowed, authorized, permitted, approved, endorsed

Origin & Etymology of Amiss

Middle English amis, from a- a-:1 + mis miss:2

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Amiss

Words & Phrases Containing Amiss

not come/go amiss

Frequently Asked Questions about Amiss

What does "Amiss" mean?

"Amiss" means in a mistaken way, wrongly. As an an adverb and an adjective, it is defined as: in a mistaken way, wrongly. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Amiss"?

Other words for "Amiss" include bad, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, graceless, improper and inapposite. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Amiss" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Amiss"?

There are 108 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Amiss". Common alternatives include bad, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, graceless, improper, inapposite, inappropriate and inapt.

What is the opposite of "Amiss"?

Antonyms of "Amiss" include faultless, flawless, impeccable, perfect, appropriate, becoming, befitting and correct. Near antonyms include complete, entire, intact and whole.

How do you use "Amiss" in a sentence?

Examples of "Amiss" in a sentence: "that engine noise indicates that something is clearly amiss"; "official recognition would not be amiss after that spectacular effort"; "I hope that my suggestion that you might be more comfortable in a larger chair was not taken amiss".

Is "Amiss" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Amiss" can be used as an adverb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Amiss" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Amiss" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Amiss"?

"Amiss" is pronounced /ə-ˈmis/.