MISTAKE Definition & Meaning

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mistake

[ mi-steyk ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.
Synonyms: , , ,
a misunderstanding or misconception.
Antonyms:

verb (used with object)

mistook mistaken mistaking.

to regard or identify wrongly as something or someone else:
I mistook him for the mayor.
to understand, interpret, or evaluate wrongly; misunderstand; misinterpret.
Synonyms: , ,

verb (used without object)

mistook mistaken mistaking.

to be in error.

mistake

/ ��ɪˈ��ٱ�ɪ�� /

noun

an error or blunder in action, opinion, or judgment
a misconception or misunderstanding

verb

tr to misunderstand; misinterpret
she mistook his meaning
trfoll byfor to take (for), interpret (as), or confuse (with)
she mistook his direct manner for honesty
tr to choose badly or incorrectly
he mistook his path
intr to make a mistake in action, opinion, judgment, etc

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Confusables Note

See misnomer.

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Derived Forms

��ˈ�ٲ��, noun

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

��·�ٲ��İ� noun
��·�ٲ��i�Բ�·�� adverb
�ܲ�m��·�ٲ��i�Բ� adjective
un��·�ٲ��i�Բ�·�� adverb

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of mistake¹

First recorded in 1300–30; Middle English mistaken (verb), from Old Norse mistaka “to take in error.” mis- ¹, take

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of mistake¹

C13 (meaning: to do wrong, err): from Old Norse mistaka to take erroneously

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Idioms and Phrases

and no mistake, for certain; surely:
He's an honorable person, and no mistake.

More idioms and phrases containing mistake

In addition to the idiom beginning with mistake , also see by mistake ; make no mistake .

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Synonym Study

Mistake, blunder, error, slip refer to deviations from right, accuracy, correctness, or truth. A mistake, grave or trivial, is caused by bad judgment or a disregard of rule or principle: It was a mistake to argue. A blunder is a careless, stupid, or gross mistake in action or speech, suggesting awkwardness, heedlessness, or ignorance: Through his blunder the message was lost. An error (often interchanged with mistake ) is an unintentional wandering or deviation from accuracy, or right conduct: an error in addition. A slip is usually a minor mistake made through haste or carelessness: a slip of the tongue.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It is some compensation for Jonbon, who finished second, after a shuddering mistake, when odds-on favourite for the Champion Chase at Cheltenham Festival last month.

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Norris made a couple of mistakes on his first run on the medium tyre, and his opening lap on the soft tyre was ruined by an error at the chicane.

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Yoon, a former prosecutor, chose to defend himself in court, a move that many consider a monumental mistake.

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"It's arrogant to say you don't want to be popular, that you don't want approval ratings," said Shin, labelling this Yoon's "biggest mistake".

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But, in views rarely expressed to media, others who backed it said the war had been a mistake, and even questioned the group's future as a military force.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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