Misses

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈmɪsɪz/

Definitions

  1. To fail to grasp or catch something | To experience a sense of loss or longing for someone or something | To be absent from a place or event where one is expected to be
  2. To not succeed in capturing or achieving something | To feel a lack or yearning for a person or object that is not present | To be lacking or not in attendance at a location or occasion where one was anticipated
  3. To fail to reach or obtain something desired | To experience a feeling of nostalgia or desire for someone or something that is no longer available | To be away from a specific event or location at a time when one was expected

Etymology: The verb form of this word arises from the Old English "missan," which meant "to fail, be wanting, go wrong." This root carries the basic sense of failing to hit, reach, or catch something—essentially, "to fail to meet a target." The Old English "missan" itself likely comes from a Proto-Germanic source "*missjan," which is related to the idea of error or failure. By the Middle English period, around the 12th to 14th centuries, the verb had settled into forms like "missen," retaining the sense of failing to hit or reach something. This period also saw the word extend metaphorically to mean failing to attend or failing to experience something, such as missing a meeting or missing an event. The present third-person singular form ending in -es comes from standard English verb conjugation patterns, where verbs ending in a sibilant sound take "-es" rather than just "-s." Pronounced /ˈmɪsɪz/, it reflects the typical pronunciation of such endings, with the extra syllable helping to differentiate it from the plural noun "misses" (as in "wives" vs. "wifes"). Over time, the verb evolved further to cover a broad range of failures to connect, reach, or encounter, including emotional senses like longing or failing to be with someone. This semantic expansion shows how the original physical idea of failing to hit a target broadened into more abstract notions of absence or loss.

Synonyms: overlooks, fails, neglects, forgets, omits

Antonyms: hits, captures, lands, achieves, acquires