miss

1 /mIs/ verb NOT DO STH/FAIL TO DO STH

1 (T) to not go somewhere or do something, especially when you want to but cannot: I'm really hungry. I missed breakfast. | Donna had to miss a week of school because of chickenpox.

2 NOT HIT/GET HOLD OF (I, T) to not hit something or catch something: She fired at the target but missed. | miss sth: He ran to catch the ball but missed it. | miss doing sth: The car came screeching round the corner and just missed hitting a little boy who was crossing the road.

3 miss a chance/opportunity to fail to use an opportunity to do something: A free trip to Jamaica was an opportunity he couldn't miss.

4 I wouldn't miss it for the world spoken used to say that you really want to go to an event, see something etc

5 miss the boat/bus informal to fail to take an opportunity: You'll miss the boat if you don't buy these shares now.

BE TOO LATE

6 (T) to be too late for something: By the time we got there we'd missed the beginning of the movie. | miss the train/bus etc: I overslept and missed the train.

—opposite catch 1 (8) FEEL SAD WITHOUT

7 MISS SB (T) to feel sad because someone you love is not with you: When George went away I really missed him. | Will you miss me?

8 MISS STH to feel sad because you do not have something or cannot do something you had or did before: I miss the car, but the bus system is good. | We really missed being able to go to the beach whenever we wanted.

NOT NOTICE

9 (T) to not see, hear, or notice something, especially when it is difficult to notice: Grandpa Joe spoke very slowly so that Charlie wouldn't miss a word. | J.D. noticed a design fault in the engine that everyone else had missed.

10 you can't miss it/him etc spoken used to say that it is very easy to notice or recognize someone or something: He's the one in the red hat. You can't miss him.

11 sb doesn't miss much spoken used to say that someone is good at noticing things, even small details: Old Mr Staines doesn't miss much, does he?

12 sb doesn't miss a trick spoken used to say that someone notices every opportunity to get an advantage: The cunning old devil - he never misses a trick.

AVOID STH

13 AVOID STH (T) to avoid doing something or going somewhere, especially deliberately: If we leave now we should miss the traffic. | They narrowly missed being killed in the fire.

NOTICE STH ISN'T THERE

14 (T) to notice that something or someone is not in the place you expect them to be: I didn't miss my wallet till it came to paying the bill.

OTHER MEANINGS

15 miss the point to not understand the main point of what someone is saying

16 sb's heart misses a beat used to say that someone is very excited, surprised, or frightened: When I spotted Christophe my heart missed a beat.

17 without missing a beat if you do something without missing a beat, you do it without showing that you are very surprised or shocked: "I hear you're a private detective," he said, without missing a beat.

18 ENGINE (I) if an engine misses, it stops working for a very short time and then starts again

miss out phrasal verb

1 (I) to not have the chance to do something that you enjoy: Some children miss out because their parents can't afford to pay for school trips.

(+ on): She married young and felt she was missing out on life.

2 (transitive miss someone/something out) BrE to not include someone or something: Make sure you don't miss any details out.

2 noun

1 Miss Smith/Cleveland etc used in front of the family name of a woman who is not married to address her politely, to write to her, or to talk about her

—compare Mrs, Ms, —see Mr

2 TEACHER BrE used by children when addressing a female teacher, whether she is married or not: I know the answer, Miss.

—compare sir (5)

3 Miss Italy/Ohio/World etc used before the name of a country, city etc which a woman represents in a beauty competition

4 YOUNG WOMAN old-fashioned used as a polite way of addressing a young woman when you do not know her name: Excuse me, miss, you've dropped your umbrella.

—compare madam (1), sir (1)

5 YOPUNG GIRL (C) BrE a young girl, especially one who has been naughty or rude: a cheeky little miss

6 give sth a miss informal especially BrE to decide not to do something: I think I'll give aerobics a miss this week.

7 NOT HIT/CATCH (C) a failed attempt to hit, catch, or hold something: an exciting game with three shots at goal and only two misses

8 a miss is as good as a mile used to say that although someone failed by only a small amount to do something, they were still unsuccessful

—see also: hit­and­miss