DictionaryAI

mistake

mi-STAYK/mɪˈsteɪk/

Pluralmistakes

Verbmistakes, mistaking, mistook, mistaken

6 meanings of mistake

Practice

  1. 1
    an errornouncountable
    Something you do or think that is wrong.

    Like taking a wrong turn that leads you away from where you wanted to go.

    I made a big mistake when I forgot to lock the door.

    Everyone makes mistakes when they are learning something new.

    UsageSay make a mistake (not incorrect: do a mistake). By mistake means you did not mean to.

    Similarerror, blunder, slip, fault, gaffe

    Note
  2. 2
    confuse withverbtransitive
    To think that one person or thing is really another.

    Like grabbing the wrong bag at the airport because it looks just like yours.

    People often mistake him for his older brother.

    I mistook the stranger for an old friend.

    UsageSay mistake A for B. The past forms are mistook and mistaken.

    Similarconfuse, misidentify

    Note
  3. 3
    be wrongverbobsoleteintransitive
    To do or think something wrong without meaning to.
    "Bah!" said the Englishwoman: "what knight ever feared cold? Besides, you mistake; the night is warm, and you look so handsome in your gown."
    1828, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], PelhamHere, mistake means to be wrong.
    Impoſe me to what penance your inuention / Can lay vpon my ſinne, yet ſinn’d I not / But in miſtaking.
    1598, William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”

    UsageToday people say you are mistaken or I made a mistake.

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    misunderstandverbtransitive
    To understand wrongly what someone means or wants to say.

    It is easy to mistake what people mean in a short text message.

    Miſtake me not, my Lord, ’tis not my meaning / To raze one Title of your Honour out.
    1595, William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”Here, mistake means misunderstand what someone means.

    Similarmisread

    Note
  2. 5
    verbobsolete
    To take or pick the wrong one by error.
    The Spear with erring Haste mistook its way, But plung’d in Eniopeus’ Bosom lay.
    1716, Alexander Pope, The Iliad of HomerHere, mistook means took the wrong one by error.
    The better act of purposes mistook / Is to mistake again; though indirect, / Yet indirection thereby grows direct,
    c. 1596, William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”
    Note
  3. 6
    noun
    In baseball, a pitch that was meant to be hard to hit but ends up in an easy spot.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of mistake apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Old Norse 'mistaka', meaning to take wrongly. It is made from 'mis-' plus 'take'.

Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 2 facts