Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Out of proper order.
- adjective Not in perfect shape; faulty.
- adverb In an improper, defective, unfortunate, or mistaken way.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Fault; wrong: as, “some great amiss,”
- Away from the mark; out of the way; out of the proper course or order; in a faulty manner; wrongly; in a manner contrary to propriety, truth, law, or morality.
- Improper; wrong; faulty: used only in the predicate: as, it may not be amiss to ask advice.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adverb Astray; faultily; improperly; wrongly; ill.
- adverb to impute a wrong motive to (an act or thing); to take offense at; to take unkindly.
- adjective Wrong; faulty; out of order; improper.
- noun obsolete A fault, wrong, or mistake.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Wrong ;faulty ; out of order;improper ; as, it may not be amiss to ask advice. - adverb archaic
Mistakenly - adverb archaic
Astray - adverb archaic
Wrongly . - noun obsolete
Fault ;wrong ; an evil act, a baddeed .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective not functioning properly
- adverb in an improper or mistaken or unfortunate manner
- adverb in an imperfect or faulty way
- adverb away from the correct or expected course
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Brother Cadfael's gnarled, guileless-eyed self-sufficiency caused him discomfort without a word amiss or a glance out of place, as though his dignity were somehow under siege.
A Morbid Taste For Bones Peters, Ellis, 1913-1995 1977
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In connexion with this sense it may not be amiss to notice that the Hebrew word, either in the form Haçer, or in the slightly different form Haçor was not infrequently used in proper names.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 4: Clandestinity-Diocesan Chancery 1840-1916 1913
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I knew, also, that weapons would not come in amiss, and I re ntered Wolf Larsen's state-room to get his rifle and shotgun.
Chapter 26 1904
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I knew, also, that weapons would not come in amiss, and I re-entered Wolf Larsen’s state-room to get his rifle and shot-gun.
Chapter 26 2010
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Here I am again with Ryan’s sloppy 2nds, but the sure sign that something is, once again, amiss is they’re all coming out and there are multiple excuses for the surveillance.
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The disputes panel eventually concluded yesterday evening that nothing had been amiss, which is why we're still where we were nine days ago.
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"Now guard thee, Lady Kriemhild,/my word amiss to take,
The Nibelungenlied Translated into Rhymed English Verse in the Metre of the Original George Henry Needler 1914
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There is one more point in fielding the catcher's position upon which a few words will not be amiss, that is, as to touching a runner coming home.
Base-Ball How to Become a Player John M. Ward
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In the midst of all these grievances he did not speak a word amiss; and we have no reason to think but that he also preserved a good temper of mind, so that, though there might be some stirrings and risings of corruption in his heart, yet grace got the upper hand and he took care that the root of bitterness might not spring up to trouble him, Heb. xii.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon) 1721
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Any of us who determine that something is "amiss" with our most precious commodities, our children, understand what it means to take this journey of discovery, acceptance and advocacy.
bilby commented on the word amiss
Her sonne new dead, some briny drops to shed?
When she a while hath spoke her griefe in teares,
With patience then, of patience she heares.
Out of due season who so Physicke gi's,
Though it cause health, yet hath he done amisse.
And friendly counsell vrged out of date
Doth fret the sore and cause the hearers hate.
- Sir Thomas Overbury, 'The Remedy of Loue'.
July 28, 2009
PossibleUnderscore commented on the word amiss
"You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you might consume it upon thy lusts.�?
-Bible
July 28, 2009