Miss

/mɪs/

Meaning & Definition

noun

An instance of failing to hit, catch, or reach something.

That was a close miss; the arrow barely missed the bullseye.

A feeling of loss or absence.

There was a deep miss in her heart after he left.

verb

To fail to hit, reach, or come into contact with something.

She missed the target by several feet.

To feel the absence of someone or something.

I really miss my friends from college.

To fail to notice, hear, or understand.

I missed the important details of the meeting.

To fail to attend or be present at.

He's going to miss the concert because of work.

adjective

Used to address or refer to unmarried women.

Miss Smith will be teaching the class today.

Middle English 'missen', from Old French 'mistre', from Latin 'mittere' meaning 'to send'.

miss the boat:

to miss an opportunity.

miss a beat:

to fail to keep up or take notice.

miss the mark:

to fail to achieve a goal.

to fail or mess up something.

I really missed that exam; I should have studied more.

to long for someone.

I miss you so much, it feels empty without you here.