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| mis·take [ mi stáyk ] |
noun (plural mis·takes) |
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| Definition: |
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1. incorrect act or decision: an incorrect, unwise, or unfortunate act or decision caused by bad judgment or a lack of information or care
 It's an easy mistake to make.
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2. error: something in a piece of work that is incorrect, e.g. a misspelling or a misprint
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3. misunderstanding: a misunderstanding of something
There must be some mistake; I didn't order this.
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transitive verb (past mis·took [ mi stk ], past participle mis·tak·en [ mi stáykən ], present participle mis·tak·ing, 3rd person present singular mis·takes) |
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| Definition: |
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1. misunderstand something: to misunderstand or misinterpret something
I mistook the meaning of the phrase.
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2. identify somebody or something incorrectly: to identify somebody or something incorrectly, or fail to recognize somebody or something
We tend to mistake infatuation for real love.
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3. choose something incorrectly: to choose something incorrectly or injudiciously
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| [14th century. < Old Norse mistaka "take in error"] |
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| mis·tak·a·ble adjective |
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by mistake accidentally, without wishing or intending to do something
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| Word Key: Synonyms |
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mistake, error, inaccuracy, slip, blunder, faux pas, oversight
CORE MEANING: something incorrect or improper
mistake an incorrect, unwise, or unfortunate act or decision caused by bad judgment or a lack of information or care;
He expects people to make occasional mistakes and plans accordingly.
He soon learned he'd made a big mistake in marrying Bertha.
error something unintentionally done wrong;
If not detected, this error would have had disastrous consequences.
The leadership had made a serious error of military judgment.
inaccuracy something that is incorrect, especially something that has been measured, calculated, copied, or conveyed incorrectly;
The reports were riddled with inaccuracies.
The commission's findings were criticized for containing obvious inaccuracies.
slip a minor mistake, especially one caused by carelessness;
One slip would have betrayed all I was working for.
blunder a serious or embarrassing mistake, usually the result of carelessness or ignorance;
The young Canadian scored another goal after a bad blunder by Switzerland's defense.
faux pas an embarrassing mistake that breaks a social convention;
She stopped smiling, as if I had committed a faux pas by referring to her dress.
oversight a mistake, especially as a result of a failure to do or notice something;
If the money still hasn't been transferred it's due to an oversight by my bank. |
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