Mishits

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. To make an incorrect hit or contact, especially in sports or games; to fail to strike accurately or effectively; to mishandle a situation or object resulting in a poor outcome
2. To strike something inaccurately or insufficiently, particularly in competitive activities; to achieve an undesirable result by not executing properly; to mismanage an item or event leading to errors
3. An erroneous impact or connection, often noted in gameplay; failing to make successful contact as intended; to misjudge or mishandle resulting in complications or mistakes

Etymology: "Mishit" is a plain compound: the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or badly, attached to "hit." The prefix comes from Old English "mis-", a sense of error or failure that English has used since its earliest records, and "hit" traces back through Old English "hyttan" and Old Norse "hitta" to a Germanic root meaning to come upon or strike. Put together, a mishit is a blow that goes wrong, which is why the word fits both a bat or club that connects off-centre and a more general failure to land a blow as intended. The figurative sense, to mishandle a situation and cause trouble, grows naturally from that physical picture. A striker who misses the sweet spot of the ball has still made contact, but the result is not what was planned, and English speakers applied the same logic to decisions and actions that miss their target.

Synonyms: blunders, errors, mistakes, flubs, misstrikes

Antonyms: hits, strikes, contacts, successes