The Open Dictionary

miss

noun

UK/mɪs/
US/mɪs/

Definitions of miss noun

failure

  1. Countable

    an instance of failing to hit a target or avoiding an impact

    • Excellent shot! You had eight successful hits and only two misses.

    • In the game, his misses outnumbered his hits.

    • The missile was aimed to destroy, but it was a miss.

person

  1. Countableold-fashioned

    a girl or young woman, particularly one who behaves disrespectfully or rudely

    • You impudent miss! Apologize right now.

    • She talks to her elders like a cheeky miss.

    • The girl retorted with a haughty tone, acting like a little miss.

Phrases of miss noun

  • give something a miss

    to intentionally avoid doing or participating in something; to decide not to do something.

    • I usually attend the weekly book club, but I think I'll give it a miss tonight and take a break.

verb

UK/mɪs/
US/mɪs/

Definitions of miss verb

fail

  1. B1Transitive

    to fail to do or experience something, often planned or expected, or to avoid doing or experiencing something

    • I missed the beginning of the class because the bus was delayed.

    • He missed the meeting because he was ill.

    • She misses breakfast every morning and goes straight to lunch.

  2. A2Transitive

    to arrive too late to catch a bus, train, or aircraft

    • If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss your flight.

    • We missed our train due to the traffic jam.

    • She was worried about missing her connecting flight.

  3. A2Transitive

    to not go to something

    • Students who miss a lot of classes may find it hard to catch up.

    • I need to find a good excuse for missing the party.

    • She missed yesterday's meeting because she was ill.

  4. B1Transitive

    to fail to see or hear something or someone

    • I missed the beginning of the performance.

    • Her latest film is not one to miss.

    • I was so sorry to have missed you at Pat's party - I must have arrived after you left.

  5. Transitive

    to not notice someone or something

    • You have a keen eye for detail, don't you? Nobody else noticed that mistake.

    • My office is the first on the right with a bright red door. You can't miss it.

    • A large neon sign has been put up where nobody can miss it.

emotion

  1. A2Transitive

    to feel sad that a person or thing is not present

    • I really missed her when she went away.

    • She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

    • I still miss my old car.

failure

  1. B2TransitiveIntransitive

    to fail to hit something, or to avoid hitting something

    • The bullet missed his heart by a couple of centimetres.

    • I swerved to avoid the other car and only just missed a tree.

    • He threw a book at me, but it missed.

notice

  1. Transitive

    to notice that something is lost or absent

    • He didn’t miss his wallet until the waiter brought the bill.

    • I didn't miss my keys until I needed to use them.

    • She didn't miss her card until she went to pay.

Idioms

  • miss the mark

    To fail to achieve the intended result or goal; to be unsuccessful.

    • The advertisement clearly missed the mark, as it failed to resonate with consumers.

  • not miss a trick

    Describes someone who is very adept at seizing opportunities and never fails to take advantage of them.

    • She's so shrewd in business, she never misses a trick to make money.

  • miss the point

    To fail to understand the essential part of something or what is most important about it.

    • He always misinterprets what I mean; I don't think he ever understands my point.

  • not miss much

    This phrase is used to indicate that something one failed to experience or see was not significant or special.

    • "I missed the meeting." "Don't worry, you didn't miss much."

  • miss the boat

    to fail to take advantage of an opportunity because of delay or inaction

    • They had the chance to invest in that startup, but they missed the boat, and now the company's value has doubled.

  • miss a chance/opportunity

    To fail to take advantage of an opportunity to do something.

    • He missed the chance to buy his dream house because he hesitated too long.

Phrasal Verbs of miss

  • miss out

    to not take the chance to benefit from or enjoy something

    • If you don't attend the party, you'll miss out on a great time with your friends.

  • miss someone/something out

    to neglect to include someone or something that ought to be included

    • During the meeting, he missed out on the list that included all the attendees.