miss
miss — verb
1. to not do something you planned or wanted to do, or to not get the chance to enj
to not do something you planned or wanted to do, or to not get the chance to enjoy an experience you expected to have.
Ritu missed her flight because the taxi got stuck in heavy traffic.
miss + noun (a scheduled event)
Benjamin missed the chance to study in Japan when the program was canceled.
miss + noun phrase (chance/opportunity)
The school orchestra did not want to miss performing at the city hall concert.
Niran missed watching the championship match because his flight arrived too late.
- miss a chance
- miss an opportunity
- miss the boat
- miss doing something
- catch
used for events ('catch the show') or opportunities ('catch a chance')
Grammar Patterns
miss + noun/pronoun (opportunity/event)
miss + verb+ing
Usage Note
Commonly takes a noun phrase or a gerund (-ing form) as object. The subject is often a person who had planned or expected something.
Common Mistakes
2. to arrive after a bus, train, plane, or similar vehicle has left, so that you ar
to arrive after a bus, train, plane, or similar vehicle has left, so that you are unable to travel on it.
Lan ran as fast as she could but still missed the last bus home.
If we do not leave soon, we will miss the express train to Kaohsiung.
miss + [mode of transport]
Yael missed her connecting flight in Bangkok and had to wait until morning.
Mr. Tanaka missed the ferry by just two minutes and had to take the next one.
- miss the bus
- miss the train
- miss the flight
- miss the ferry
- be too late for
more explanatory; not a one-word synonym but more explicit
- catch
'catch the train' means you arrive in time to board it
Grammar Patterns
miss + mode of transport (bus/train/plane)
Usage Note
Object is always a specific vehicle or service (bus, train, flight, ferry). Frequently used with 'just' to emphasize a very narrow margin: 'I just missed the train.'
3. to stay away from an event, meeting, class, or other planned activity that you a
to stay away from an event, meeting, class, or other planned activity that you are expected to be present at.
Esteban has missed three swimming lessons this month because of his part-time job.
miss + class/lesson
Roya missed the weekly team meeting because her train was delayed by an hour.
The goalkeeper decided to miss the award ceremony and rest at home instead.
The night-shift nurse missed all the holiday parties because she had to work.
- miss a class
- miss a meeting
- miss a game
- miss school
- skip
informal; often implies a conscious choice not to go
- be absent from
more formal; used in official contexts such as school attendance records
Grammar Patterns
miss + noun (event/meeting/class)
Usage Note
This sense does not carry a negative judgment—it simply states that someone was not present. For a more critical tone, use 'skip' (informal) or 'fail to attend' (formal).
4. to fail to see, hear, or become aware of something that was happening or being s
to fail to see, hear, or become aware of something that was happening or being said while your attention was elsewhere.
Inês missed the train announcement because her headphones were on too loud.
miss + noun (an announcement / a sound)
Stephanie missed the winning goal because she was checking a text message.
Maeve spoke so softly that I missed most of what she said.
The children missed the first ten minutes of the film while buying snacks.
- miss the news
- miss the point
- miss the joke
- miss what someone said
Grammar Patterns
miss + noun (something said/shown/happening)
Usage Note
Often used with sensory objects: sounds, sights, events. The reason for missing is usually a distraction or physical distance. Not used for permanent sensory loss (use 'cannot see' or 'cannot hear' instead).
5. to fail to notice a detail, mistake, sign, or person that is clearly present and
to fail to notice a detail, mistake, sign, or person that is clearly present and visible.
The proofreader missed a spelling mistake on the very first page of the book.
miss + noun (a mistake/error)
Élise drove past the restaurant twice because she missed the small sign above the door.
How did the referee miss that player's handball when everyone saw it?
Dr. Patel missed the warning light on the dashboard until smoke appeared.
- miss a detail
- miss a sign
- miss a typo
- miss someone in a crowd
- overlook
very close in meaning; 'overlook' often implies carelessness or haste
- fail to spot
informal; 'spot' suggests a quick visual identification
Grammar Patterns
miss + noun (detail/mistake/sign/person)
Usage Note
Stronger than 'fail to perceive' (sense 4) — here the information is physically available but the observer's attention was insufficient. Common with visual details: signs, errors, objects in plain sight.
Common Mistakes
6. to feel unhappy or lonely because a person you care about is not with you, or be
to feel unhappy or lonely because a person you care about is not with you, or because a place, activity, or thing you enjoyed is no longer part of your life.
The children miss their grandfather, who moved to a nursing home last winter.
miss + noun (a person you love)
Dr. Okafor said she misses the home-cooked meals her mother used to make.
After ten years abroad, the Watanabe family still misses the cherry blossoms of their old neighborhood.
Tomás misses the long talks he used to have with his college roommate.
- miss someone dearly
- miss home
- miss the old days
- miss being together
- forget
to stop thinking about someone or something
Grammar Patterns
miss + noun/pronoun (person/place/thing)
Usage Note
This is the only sense of 'miss' where the subject experiences an emotional response to absence. It is stative — usually not used in continuous/progressive form ('I am missing you' is acceptable in informal English, but 'I miss you' is standard).
Common Mistakes
7. to aim at a person or thing but not touch or reach them with what you throw, sho
to aim at a person or thing but not touch or reach them with what you throw, shoot, or swing.
Élise swung the racket at the tennis ball but missed it completely.
miss + direct object (thing aimed at)
The stone missed the window by just a few centimetres.
miss + noun + by + distance
James threw a paper aeroplane across the room, but it missed and fell under the desk.
Ramón aimed carefully at the bottle, but the stone missed it by a wide margin.
miss + noun + by + margin/amount
- miss the target
- miss the ball
- miss the mark
- miss by inches/miles/a long way
- hit
to successfully make contact with a target
Grammar Patterns
miss + noun (the thing aimed at)
miss + noun + by + distance/amount
miss (intransitive, no object)
Usage Note
Commonly used in sports (baseball, tennis, archery) and in any situation involving aiming. The intransitive form (without an object) is very frequent in spoken English.
Common Mistakes
8. to realize that something or someone is not where you expected them to be, or th
to realize that something or someone is not where you expected them to be, or that you no longer have something you once had.
Hassan opened his backpack and missed his phone immediately.
miss + noun phrase (thing noticed as gone)
The librarian checked the shelf and missed three reference books.
After the party, the host missed a silver spoon from the kitchen drawer.
miss + noun + from + location
The teacher took attendance and missed two students from the morning class.
- miss something from somewhere
- miss a person from a group/meeting
- notice the absence of
more formal; less common in everyday speech
- find
to discover something that was lost or absent
Grammar Patterns
miss + noun (the thing or person no longer present)
Usage Note
Distinguish from 'miss' sense 6 (feel sadness because someone is absent). This sense is factual: you notice something is gone, without necessarily feeling emotional about it. Common with personal belongings, tools, or people who are expected to be present.
Common Mistakes
miss out
phrasal verbThis means to fail to experience or take part in something enjoyable or beneficial.
Sara missed out on the party because she was sick.
Don't miss out on the chance to see the solar eclipse.
This phrase describes a sudden strong feeling of surprise, fear, or excitement.
When the door suddenly opened, my heart missed a beat.
Did your heart skip a beat when you saw the test results?
This means someone notices every chance to get an advantage or benefit.
Maya doesn't miss a trick when it comes to finding bargains.
Brian never misses a trick; he always spots the best deals first.
hit/miss the mark
idiomThis means to succeed or fail in achieving or guessing something correctly.
His joke about the boss really hit the mark and made everyone laugh.
The movie missed the mark because the plot was too confusing.
miss the boat
idiomThis means to lose an opportunity because you act too slowly or too late.
If you don't apply soon, you'll miss the boat on that scholarship.
Diego missed the boat when he didn't invest in the startup early.
miss your guess
idiomThis means to make a mistake in guessing or estimating something.
Unless I miss my guess, the train will arrive in five minutes.
If you miss your guess on the answer, you lose a point.
miss — noun
1. a situation in which a thrown, kicked, or fired object does not reach the person
a situation in which a thrown, kicked, or fired object does not reach the person or thing it was aimed at
Sofía's third throw was a miss that landed far from the basketball hoop.
countable noun: a miss
The hunter's first shot was a clean miss, and the deer fled into the forest.
collocation: clean miss
Wei's arrow sailed wide of the bullseye for yet another miss in the archery contest.
The striker's kick was a miss that cost his team the championship.
The referee called it a near miss when the puck flew just past the goalpost.
collocation: near miss
- a miss
- clean miss
- near miss
- direct miss
- hit
when the object successfully reaches the target
Grammar Patterns
a + miss
near miss
Usage Note
Often used in sports contexts to describe a shot, throw, or swing that does not connect with or reach the intended target.
Common Mistakes
2. a situation in which someone does not succeed in getting, doing, or experiencing
a situation in which someone does not succeed in getting, doing, or experiencing something they wanted or expected
Wei's application for the art scholarship was a miss, so he reapplied the next year.
countable noun: a miss
After several misses in the job search, Femi decided to change careers.
Folake's first attempt at baking bread was a miss — the loaf turned out hard.
The movie was a miss for most critics, who found the plot confusing and slow.
pattern: [something] + is a miss
- a miss
- bit of a miss
- several misses
Grammar Patterns
a + miss
Usage Note
Unlike sense 1 (physical target), this sense applies to abstract goals such as applications, attempts, guesses, or creative works that fall short of expectations.
Common Mistakes
3. a young female person who acts in a rude, disrespectful, or impatient way, espec
a young female person who acts in a rude, disrespectful, or impatient way, especially towards older people
Grandmother called the neighbour a cheeky miss for talking back to her parents.
informal disapproving use
The old man muttered about a spoiled miss who had pushed ahead in the queue.
The novel's main character is a silly miss who cares only about parties.
The shopkeeper shook his head at the rude miss demanding a refund without a receipt.
- cheeky miss
- silly miss
- spoiled miss
- rude miss
- lady
a polite, well-mannered woman
Grammar Patterns
a + adjective + miss
young miss
Usage Note
This use is old-fashioned and can be offensive. It is used to show disapproval of a young woman who the speaker feels does not show proper respect or behaves too boldly. Avoid using this sense in modern formal or polite contexts — it may be considered sexist or condescending.
Common Mistakes
4. a word put before an unmarried woman's surname or complete name, used for polite
a word put before an unmarried woman's surname or complete name, used for polite or official reference to her
Please send the invoice to Miss Chen at the accounting department.
Miss + surname
Miss Thompson has taught piano at the school for over twenty years.
The envelope was addressed to Miss Noor Ahmadi at the embassy.
Miss + full name
Miss Watanabe was introduced as the new director of the library.
- Miss + surname
- Miss + full name
- Dear Miss
Grammar Patterns
Miss + surname
Miss + full name
Usage Note
Use 'Miss' for unmarried women. The equivalent for married women is 'Mrs.' and for women of any marital status is 'Ms.'. When unsure of a woman's marital status, 'Ms.' is the safest and most modern choice.
Common Mistakes
5. a polite term used when talking directly to a young female person whose name you
a polite term used when talking directly to a young female person whose name you do not know, common in service situations
The bus driver called out, "Excuse me, Miss, you dropped your scarf."
service context: bus driver addressing passenger
A waiter approached and asked, "Miss, would you like the dessert menu?"
"Miss, your taxi is waiting outside," said the hotel receptionist.
An elderly gentleman tipped his hat and said, "Good morning, Miss."
polite traditional usage
- Excuse me, Miss
- Yes, Miss
- Good morning, Miss
- Ma'am
more formal; used for women of any age and marital status in American English
Grammar Patterns
Excuse me, Miss
Miss, ...
Usage Note
This use is becoming less common in modern English, where 'excuse me' on its own or no address term is often preferred by younger speakers. Some women may consider being called 'Miss' by a stranger old-fashioned.
Common Mistakes
6. a term that schoolchildren in some countries use when speaking to or about a wom
a term that schoolchildren in some countries use when speaking to or about a woman teacher, instead of using her name
A little boy raised his hand and said, "Miss, I have finished my maths homework."
child addressing female teacher
"Can I get a drink of water, Miss?" asked the girl in the front row.
The children lined up quietly when Miss said it was time to go to lunch.
"Miss, Hana took my eraser!" complained the boy in the blue jumper.
- Miss said
- asked Miss
- tell Miss
- teacher
gender-neutral; used in many school systems instead of 'Miss' or 'Sir'
- Sir
used by children to address a male teacher in similar contexts
Grammar Patterns
Miss + statement/question
Usage Note
Common in British primary schools. In American English, children typically use 'Mrs./Ms./Miss + surname' or 'Teacher' instead. Some schools now prefer using teachers' first names or 'teacher' to avoid gender-based titles.
Common Mistakes
7. placed before the name of a country, city, or region to form the official title
placed before the name of a country, city, or region to form the official title that a beauty competition winner uses to represent that area
Camille won the competition and was crowned Miss Taiwan 2024.
Miss + [place name] for pageant winner title
The current Miss World has been visiting schools to promote charity work.
Jin designed the evening gown that Miss Singapore wore at the final ceremony.
title used before a country name
A local newspaper interviewed Miss Hong Kong about her plans to study medicine.
Nkechi watched the pageant on television, hoping her favourite contestant would become Miss Nigeria.
Miss + [place name] for a national title
- crowned Miss [Place]
- Miss [Place] winner
- the title of Miss [Place]
Grammar Patterns
Miss + [place name] forms the official title of a beauty contest winner
Usage Note
Always capitalised when used as a title. The name following Miss can be a country (Miss Japan), a city (Miss Taipei), an organisation (Miss Universe), or a competition name (Miss World).
Common Mistakes
to decide not to do something, not to go somewhere, or not to have something, especially because you do not want to or because you have done it before
The weather was awful, so we decided to give the beach trip a miss.
I have seen that film twice already, so I think I will give it a miss tonight.
a near miss
idioma situation in which something dangerous, unpleasant, or unwanted almost happens but does not
The car swerved to avoid a cyclist — it was a near miss that left everyone shaken.
The storm passed just north of the village, a near miss that the residents were grateful for.
hit or miss
idiomused to describe something that is sometimes good and sometimes bad, with unpredictable results
The food at that market stall is hit or miss — one day it is delicious, the next day it is not.
Finding parking near the station is hit or miss, especially on weekends.
miss — abbreviation
1. a short written form of Mississippi, a state in the southern United States, ofte
a short written form of Mississippi, a state in the southern United States, often used in addresses or on maps
Please mail the form to Oxford, Miss., 38655, before the deadline.
used in addresses after a city name
The delivery truck crossed from Miss. into Tennessee at dawn.
Aiko grew up in Miss. and now studies engineering in Georgia.
used to indicate where someone comes from
Rodrigo's family runs a small farm in Miss. that grows soybeans.
used to describe the location of a place or activity
- from Miss.
- in Miss.
- to Miss.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- missesverb (3rd person singular)B1
- missedverb (past tense / past participle)A2
- missingadjectiveA2
- missingverb (present participle)B1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
While 'miss,' 'skip,' 'overlook,' 'fail to,' and 'forgo' all describe not doing or not experiencing something, they differ in intention and tone. 'Miss' (verb/1) focuses on the outcome — the thing did not happen, often because of circumstances outside your control ('She missed the deadline because of the snow'). 'Skip' is intentional and informal — you actively decide not to do something ('I skipped the party because I was tired'). 'Overlook' applies to details or options you failed to notice, not to events or opportunities ('He overlooked an important clause in the contract'). 'Fail to' is more formal and carries a tone of inadequacy or blame ('The report failed to address the main issue'). 'Forgo' is deliberate and slightly formal, suggesting you willingly gave something up for a reason ('She forwent dessert to save calories'). Concrete contrast: 'I missed the meeting' (circumstance stopped you) vs. 'I skipped the meeting' (you chose not to go) vs. 'I failed to attend the meeting' (more formal, implies responsibility).
Common collocations
Nouns
- miss a chance
- miss an opportunity
- miss a deadline
- miss a flight
- miss the point
- miss the boat
- miss the mark
- a near miss
- a clear miss
Adverbs
- just miss
- narrowly miss
- barely miss
- completely miss
- totally miss
- badly miss
Phrases
Prepositions
- miss by (a few minutes/inches)
- miss out on (an opportunity)
- miss from (a place)
Etymology
The word 'miss' traces back through millennia of Germanic language history. Its verb form comes from Old English missan (around 725 AD), which meant 'to fail to hit, avoid, escape, or fail to notice.' This word shares a root with Old Norse missa 'to miss, lack' and ultimately derives from Proto-Germanic missjaną, built on the root missa- meaning 'change, exchange' or 'going wrong' — the same root that gave English the prefix mis- (as in mistake, misstep, misplace). The emotional sense 'to feel the absence of someone you love' emerged in the 13th century. The noun sense 'a failure to hit' appeared around 1400. Meanwhile, the title 'Miss' (noun senses 4-7) has a completely separate origin: it is a shortened form of 'Mistress,' first used as a title for an unmarried woman in the 1600s. The abbreviation 'Miss.' for Mississippi follows the standard US Postal Service two-letter code system adopted in 1963.