AMISS Synonyms: 211 Similar and Opposite Words

amiss 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of amiss

as in defective

having a fault that engine noise indicates that something is clearly amiss

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wrong

not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation official recognition would not be amiss after that spectacular effort

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

amiss

2 of 2

adverb

ə-ˈmis

as in incorrectly

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in awry

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of amiss

Adjective

Give him a government database or a spreadsheet with millions of rows, and Maines could find the nugget — the pattern that suggested something amiss, the anomaly hidden in ordinary transactions, the numbers that turned a hunch into proof. — Sally Kestin, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026 Bonnaroovians first suspected that something may be amiss when organizers went quiet shortly after the conclusion of this year’s fest. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Adverb

The whole incident -- from realizing something was going amiss to hitting the water -- only lasted one or two minutes. — Leah Asmelash, CNN, 21 Aug. 2019 This connectivity can provide a sense of brain organization, and there's a growing body of evidence that this organization goes amiss in those with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 12 Apr. 2018 See All Example Sentences for amiss

Recent Examples of Synonyms for amiss

Adjective

Recent court cases have used similar arguments, framing social media to judges and jurors as defective products causing children harm.

— Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Trump’s successors will need to salvage his defective effort to help guide this transition.

— Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of defective

Adjective

Its argument is that insurers have been pricing wildfire risk the wrong way, by looking backward at statistics and sorting homes by zip code.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
The trailer begins as Ziegler’s Mae frantically asks family friend Benny, played by a sleepy Rob Lowe, for help after her big mistake — kissing the wrong brother between Graham Phillips’ Andrew and Elias Kacavas’ Theo.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrong

Adverb

Cybersecurity protects systems against unauthorized access and manipulation, while functional safety protects people, equipment and the environment when systems fail or behave incorrectly.

— Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Davis incorrectly assumed the agreement protected him from speaking publicly about Shakur’s murder.

— Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of incorrectly

Adjective

Bajaria may also have hit thin ice with Sarandos after the streamer won just 16 Primetime Emmy Awards this year — its worst showing since 2016 and down from 30 in 2025.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
The size of the boat, the distance from the tow boat's berth and how bad the boat is stuck will all factor into the final invoice.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of bad

Adjective

The reality, of course, is that the Southern accent is not some incorrect version of a national standard but instead a historically separate and unique dialect – or, more accurately, set of dialects.

— Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
And Ballmer and the Clippers remain adamant the penalties—and the allegations of misconduct—are incorrect.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of incorrect

Adverb

At that point, the group had botched its first two votes, mistakenly banishing two female faithfuls.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
The Salvadoran national's case became a focal point in the immigration debate after he was mistakenly deported to his home country last year.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of mistakenly

Adjective

This contributes to imperfect fits, product returns, and lower customer satisfaction.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
The Perfect Prescription is Spacemen 3’s masterpiece, an imperfect record made by one of the last holistically perfect groups of the 20th century.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026