Amiss

/əˈmɪs/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

Not quite right; inappropriate or out of place.

Something feels amiss in this situation; I can't quite put my finger on it.

Wrong; faulty.

The equipment was working fine until something went amiss.

adverb

In a mistaken or faulty way.

He must have interpreted the instructions amiss, as he took the wrong turn.

Wrongly.

I've done it amiss, and now I need to start over.

Middle English, from the phrase 'a miss', meaning 'amiss' or 'at a loss'.

Something is amiss:

There is something wrong or not as it should be.

Amiss in the works:

Indicating that there are issues in the process or plan.

Off base

Her initial thought was way off base; something was definitely amiss.

Out of whack

When the machine isn't working right, you know something is out of whack.