English Reference
Adjective

amiss

adj.
C2 Proficiency US /əˈmɪs/ UK /ɐmˈɪs/ amiss

adj.wrong, bad, or not quite right. You use this when something is slightly off or doesn't feel quite normal.

adj.improper, wrong, or not quite right. Often used in the phrase 'something is amiss' to indicate a sense of unease or a perceived fault.


SIMPLE

Something is amiss with the car engine.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager noticed something was amiss when the sales figures didn't match the inventory reports.

COMPLEX

A sense of unease settled over the group as they realized something was amiss with the carefully prepared schedule for the evening's performance.

A guard fired two shots to signal that something was amiss, but before he could investigate further, a bugle call pierced the night air.

Smithsonian Magazine· 5 Aug 2026

Only the presence of a sailor tasked with protecting Alexei by accompanying him everywhere, even carrying the boy when he was too sick to walk on his own, suggests that something is amiss.

Smithsonian Magazine· 16 Jul 2026

From a- + miss.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C2 · Proficiency
Frequency Occasional
Updated