Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Out of proper order: What is amiss?
- adj. Not in perfect shape; faulty.
- adv. In an improper, defective, unfortunate, or mistaken way.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Away from the mark; out of the way; out of the proper course or order; in a faulty manner; wrongly; in a manner contrary to propriety, truth, law, or morality.
- Improper; wrong; faulty: used only in the predicate: as, it may not be amiss to ask advice.
- n. Fault; wrong: as, “some great amiss,”
Wiktionary
- adj. Wrong; faulty; out of order; improper; as, it may not be amiss to ask advice.
- adv. Mistakenly.
- adv. Astray.
- adv. Wrongly.
- n. Fault; wrong; an evil act, a bad deed.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adv. Astray; faultily; improperly; wrongly; ill.
- adj. Wrong; faulty; out of order; improper.
- n. A fault, wrong, or mistake.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. not functioning properly
- adv. in an improper or mistaken or unfortunate manner
- adv. in an imperfect or faulty way
- adv. away from the correct or expected course
Etymologies
- 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-1 in Indo-European roots.
Examples
“Brother Cadfael's gnarled, guileless-eyed self-sufficiency caused him discomfort without a word amiss or a glance out of place, as though his dignity were somehow under siege.”
A Morbid Taste For Bones
“In connexion with this sense it may not be amiss to notice that the Hebrew word, either in the form Haçer, or in the slightly different form Haçor was not infrequently used in proper names.”
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 4: Clandestinity-Diocesan Chancery
“I knew, also, that weapons would not come in amiss, and I re ntered Wolf Larsen's state-room to get his rifle and shotgun.”
“I knew, also, that weapons would not come in amiss, and I re-entered Wolf Larsen’s state-room to get his rifle and shot-gun.”
“Here I am again with Ryan’s sloppy 2nds, but the sure sign that something is, once again, amiss is they’re all coming out and there are multiple excuses for the surveillance.”
“The disputes panel eventually concluded yesterday evening that nothing had been amiss, which is why we're still where we were nine days ago.”
“Now guard thee, Lady Kriemhild,/my word amiss to take,”
The Nibelungenlied Translated into Rhymed English Verse in the Metre of the Original
“There is one more point in fielding the catcher's position upon which a few words will not be amiss, that is, as to touching a runner coming home.”
“In the midst of all these grievances he did not speak a word amiss; and we have no reason to think but that he also preserved a good temper of mind, so that, though there might be some stirrings and risings of corruption in his heart, yet grace got the upper hand and he took care that the root of bitterness might not spring up to trouble him, Heb. xii.”
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon)
“Any of us who determine that something is "amiss" with our most precious commodities, our children, understand what it means to take this journey of discovery, acceptance and advocacy.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘amiss’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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When a door is ajar
Words with the prefix "a"
ajar, asleep, akin, ablaze, afoot, abed, aground, aback, afloat, alive, abaft, abloom and 91 more...
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Wuthering Heights
Obscure classic English words in Wuthering Heights you barely understand till you check the dictionary out.
conjecture, tenant, sinewy, peevish, pious, advent, tumult, parlour, villanous, stalwart, soliloquise, gaiters and 6 more...
PossibleUnderscore "You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you might consume it upon thy lusts.�?
-Bible
Jul 28, 2009
bilby
Her sonne new dead, some briny drops to shed?
When she a while hath spoke her griefe in teares,
With patience then, of patience she heares.
Out of due season who so Physicke gi's,
Though it cause health, yet hath he done amisse.
And friendly counsell vrged out of date
Doth fret the sore and cause the hearers hate.
- Sir Thomas Overbury, 'The Remedy of Loue'. Jul 28, 2009