Miss definition

mĭs
missed misses missing
See word origin
Frequency:
To fail to answer correctly.

Missed three questions on the test.

verb
6
0
To escape or avoid.

We took a different way and missed the traffic jam.

verb
2
0
To discover the absence or loss of.

I missed my book after getting off the bus.

verb
2
0
Used as a courtesy title before the surname or full name of a girl or single woman.
noun
2
0
Used as a form of polite address for a girl or young woman.

I beg your pardon, miss.

noun
2
0
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To notice the absence or loss of.

To suddenly miss one's wallet.

verb
2
0
To fail to benefit from; let slip.

Miss a chance.

verb
1
0
To be without; lack.

A cart that is missing a wheel.

verb
1
0
To feel the lack or loss of.

Do you miss your family?

verb
1
0
To fail to hit or otherwise make contact with something.

Took a shot near the goal and missed.

verb
1
0
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A failure to hit or make contact with something.
noun
1
0
A failure to be successful.

The new movie was a miss.

noun
1
0
To overlook; let (an opportunity, etc.) go by.
verb
1
0
To escape; avoid.

He just missed being struck.

verb
1
0
To fail or forget to do, keep, have, be present at, etc.

To miss an appointment.

verb
1
0
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To be without; lack.

This book is missing a page.

verb
1
0
To fail to hit something aimed at; go wide of the mark.
verb
1
0
To fail to be successful.
verb
1
0
To misfire, as an engine.
verb
1
0
To feel the absence of someone or something, sometimes with regret.

I miss you! Come home soon!

verb
1
0
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To fail to hit, reach, catch, or otherwise make contact with.

He swung at and missed the ball. The winger missed the pass. The ball missed the basket.

verb
1
1
To be too late for or fail to meet (a train, for example).
verb
1
1
To fail to perceive, experience, or understand.

I missed my favorite TV show last night. You completely missed the point of the film.

verb
1
1
To fail to accomplish or achieve.

Just missed setting a new record.

verb
1
1
To fail to attend or perform.

Never missed a day of work.

verb
1
1
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The misfiring of an engine.
noun
1
1
Miss is a title used for unmarried women and is also a polite way of speaking to or getting the attention of young women.

An example of miss is the title you use when you address a letter to an unmarried female.

An example of miss is what you call out when you want to get the attention of a young girl.

noun
0
0
To be unsuccessful; fail.

A money-making scheme that can't miss.

verb
0
0
To misfire, as an internal-combustion engine.
verb
0
0
A young unmarried woman.
noun
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0
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Used in informal titles for a young woman to indicate the epitomizing of an attribute or activity.

Miss Organization; Miss Opera.

noun
0
0
A series of clothing sizes for women and girls of average height and proportions.
noun
0
0
Mississippi.
abbreviation
0
0
To fail to hit or land on (something aimed at)
verb
0
0
To fail to meet, reach, attain, catch, accomplish, see, hear, perceive, understand, etc.
verb
0
0
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To feel or regret the absence or loss of.

To miss one's friends.

verb
0
0
(archaic) To fail to obtain, receive, etc.
verb
0
0
A failure to hit, meet, obtain, see, etc.
noun
0
0
A young, unmarried woman or a girl.
noun
0
0
A series of sizes in clothing for women and girls of average proportions.

Coats in misses' sizes.

noun
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A title used in speaking to or of an unmarried woman or a girl and placed before the name.

Miss Smith, Miss Emily Smith, the Misses Smith.

noun
0
0
(old-fashioned) A title used in speaking to or of an unmarried woman or a girl and used with just the first name.

Miss Jane.

noun
0
0
A title used in speaking to an unmarried woman or a girl but used without the name.
noun
0
0
A title given to a young woman winning a (specified) beauty contest or promoting a (specified) product.

Miss Ohio, Miss Cotton.

noun
0
0
A title used as before a woman's stage name.

Miss Judy Garland.

noun
0
0
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(place) Mississippi.
abbreviation
0
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(intransitive) To fail to hit.

I missed the target.

I tried to kick the ball, but missed.

verb
0
0
To fail to achieve or attain.

To miss an opportunity.

verb
0
0
To fail to understand or have a shortcoming of perception.

Miss the joke.

verb
0
0
To fail to attend.

Joe missed the meeting this morning.

verb
0
0
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To be late for something (a means of transportation, a deadline etc).

I missed the plane!

verb
0
0
(sports) To fail to score (a goal).
verb
0
0
A failure to hit.
noun
0
0
A failure to obtain or accomplish.
noun
0
0
An act of avoidance.

I think I'll give the meeting a miss.

noun
0
0
A title of respect for a young woman (usually unmarried) with or without a name used.

You may sit here, miss.

You may sit here, Miss Jones.

noun
0
0
An unmarried woman; a girl.
noun
0
0
A kept woman; a mistress.

noun
0
0
(card games) 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.
noun
0
0
miss fire
  • To fail to discharge. Used of a firearm.
  • To fail to achieve the anticipated result.
idiom
0
0
miss out on
  • To lose a chance for:
    Missed out on the promotion.
idiom
0
0
(informal) miss the boat
  • To fail to avail oneself of an opportunity.
  • To fail to understand.
idiom
0
0
a miss is as good as a mile
  • missing by a narrow margin has the same practical effect as missing by a wide one
idiom
0
0
miss one's guess
  • to fail to guess or predict accurately
idiom
0
0
miss (something) out
  • to omit or pass over; skip
idiom
0
0
miss out on
  • to fail to have, get, take advantage of, etc.
idiom
0
0

Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
miss
Plural:
misses

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

miss out on
miss one's guess
miss (something) out
miss out on

Origin of miss

  • Middle English missen from Old English missan mei-1 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Short for mistress

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English missen, from Old English missan (“to miss, escape the notice of a person"), Proto-Germanic *missijanÄ… (“to miss, go wrong, fail"), from Proto-Indo-European *meit- (“to change, exchange, trade"). Cognate with North Frisian missen (“to miss"), Dutch missen (“to miss"), German vermissen (“to do without, miss"), Swedish missa (“to miss"), Icelandic missa (“to lose").

    From Wiktionary

  • From mistress.

    From Wiktionary

Miss Sentence Examples

  • Finally Miss Clara gathered her papers.

  • Miss Clara chuckled like a mother hen.

  • You'd never miss ONE of them, I'm sure!

  • The regimental commander ran forward on each such occasion, fearing to miss a single word of the commander-in-chief's regarding the regiment.

  • If he thinks I might be up today, he'll insist on staying home so he won't miss me.

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Also Mentioned In

Words near miss in the Dictionary