amiss
Not right; not the way it should be; showing that there may be a problem.
Not as it should be; wrong, out of order, or showing that there is a problem.
Used in "take something amiss": to feel hurt or angry because of what someone says or does.
Used mainly in the expression "take something amiss": to understand a remark or action as offensive or hurtful.
Used in "wouldn’t go amiss": would be good to have, or would help, in this situation.
Used mainly in the expression "wouldn’t go amiss": would be useful, helpful, or welcome in that situation.
Used in "go amiss": to not happen in the right way; to have problems or go wrong.
Used in the expression "go amiss": to go wrong, fail, or have problems instead of happening as planned.
- Base: amiss
go amiss
1go wrong or have problems
To not happen as planned; to have problems or go wrong.
- If anything goes amiss during the surgery, the senior doctor will step in.
- They checked all the equipment so that nothing would go amiss.
take something amiss
1feel offended by something
To feel hurt, angry, or unhappy because of what someone says or does, often when they did not mean to upset you.
- Please don’t take this amiss, but I think you made a small mistake.
- She took his casual comment amiss and stopped talking to him.
- I hope you won’t take it amiss if I speak honestly.
wouldn’t go amiss
1would be helpful or welcome
Used to say in a polite way that something would be good, helpful, or pleasant to have.
- A little more sleep wouldn’t go amiss before the exam.
- Some extra funding wouldn’t go amiss for this project.
- On a day like this, an ice-cold drink wouldn’t go amiss.