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mis·take
(mĭ-stāk′)n.
1. An error or fault resulting from defective judgment, deficient knowledge, or carelessness.
2. A misconception or misunderstanding.
v. mis·took (mĭ-sto͝ok′), mis·tak·en (mĭ-stā′kən), mis·tak·ing, mis·takes
v.tr.
1. To understand wrongly; misinterpret: mistook my politeness for friendliness.
2. To recognize or identify incorrectly: He mistook her for her sister.
v.intr.
To make a mistake; err.
[From Middle English mistaken, to misunderstand, from Old Norse mistaka, to take in error : mis-, wrongly; see mei- in Indo-European roots + taka, to take.]
mis·tak′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
mistake
(mɪˈsteɪk)n
1. an error or blunder in action, opinion, or judgment
2. a misconception or misunderstanding
vb, -takes, -taking, -took or -taken
3. (tr) to misunderstand; misinterpret: she mistook his meaning.
4. (foll by: for) to take (for), interpret (as), or confuse (with): she mistook his direct manner for honesty.
5. (tr) to choose badly or incorrectly: he mistook his path.
6. (intr) to make a mistake in action, opinion, judgment, etc
[C13 (meaning: to do wrong, err): from Old Norse mistaka to take erroneously]
misˈtaker n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
mis•take
(mɪˈsteɪk)n., v. -took, -tak•en, -tak•ing. n.
1. an error in action, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.
2. a misunderstanding or misconception.
v.t.3. to regard or identify wrongly as something or someone else: I mistook her for the mayor.
4. to understand, interpret, or evaluate wrongly.
v.i.5. to be in error.
[1300–30; Middle English < Old Norse mistaka to take in error. See mis-1, take]
mis•tak′a•ble, adj.
mis•tak′a•bly, adv.
syn: mistake, error, blunder, slip refer to an inadvertent deviation from accuracy, correctness, truth, or right conduct. mistake refers to a wrong action, belief, or judgment; it may also suggest an incorrect understanding, perception, or interpretation: a mistake in arithmetic; It was a mistake to trust them. error is similar in sense, but may mean a deviation from a moral standard: I finally saw the error of my ways. blunder suggests a careless, clumsy, or stupid mistake, often serious: a tactical blunder. slip refers to a small mistake in speech or writing, or to a minor indiscretion: I misspelled his name by a slip of the pen.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
mistake
1. 'mistake' and 'error'
A mistake is something incorrect or unfortunate that someone does. You say that someone makes a mistake.
He made a terrible mistake.
We made the mistake of leaving our bedroom window open.
In more formal English, you can use error with the same meaning. You also say that someone makes an error.
The letter contained several spelling errors.
He made a serious error in sending the man to prison.
Be Careful!
Don't say that someone 'does' a mistake or an error. Don't say, for example, 'He did a terrible mistake'.
You say that someone does something by mistake or, in more formal English, in error. Don't say 'in mistake or 'by error'.
I went into the wrong room by mistake.
She was given another student's report in error.
2. 'fault'
Don't use 'mistake' or 'error' to refer to something wrong in a machine or system. Use fault.
The machine has developed a fault.
I tried to call him on the phone, but there was some sort of fault on the line.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
mistake
Past participle: mistaken
Gerund: mistaking
| Imperative |
|---|
| mistake |
| mistake |
| Present |
|---|
| I mistake |
| you mistake |
| he/she/it mistakes |
| we mistake |
| you mistake |
| they mistake |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I mistook |
| you mistook |
| he/she/it mistook |
| we mistook |
| you mistook |
| they mistook |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am mistaking |
| you are mistaking |
| he/she/it is mistaking |
| we are mistaking |
| you are mistaking |
| they are mistaking |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have mistaken |
| you have mistaken |
| he/she/it has mistaken |
| we have mistaken |
| you have mistaken |
| they have mistaken |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was mistaking |
| you were mistaking |
| he/she/it was mistaking |
| we were mistaking |
| you were mistaking |
| they were mistaking |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had mistaken |
| you had mistaken |
| he/she/it had mistaken |
| we had mistaken |
| you had mistaken |
| they had mistaken |
| Future |
|---|
| I will mistake |
| you will mistake |
| he/she/it will mistake |
| we will mistake |
| you will mistake |
| they will mistake |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have mistaken |
| you will have mistaken |
| he/she/it will have mistaken |
| we will have mistaken |
| you will have mistaken |
| they will have mistaken |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be mistaking |
| you will be mistaking |
| he/she/it will be mistaking |
| we will be mistaking |
| you will be mistaking |
| they will be mistaking |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been mistaking |
| you have been mistaking |
| he/she/it has been mistaking |
| we have been mistaking |
| you have been mistaking |
| they have been mistaking |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been mistaking |
| you will have been mistaking |
| he/she/it will have been mistaking |
| we will have been mistaking |
| you will have been mistaking |
| they will have been mistaking |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been mistaking |
| you had been mistaking |
| he/she/it had been mistaking |
| we had been mistaking |
| you had been mistaking |
| they had been mistaking |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would mistake |
| you would mistake |
| he/she/it would mistake |
| we would mistake |
| you would mistake |
| they would mistake |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have mistaken |
| you would have mistaken |
| he/she/it would have mistaken |
| we would have mistaken |
| you would have mistaken |
| they would have mistaken |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  mistake - a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention; "he made a bad mistake"; "she was quick to point out my errors"; "I could understand his English in spite of his grammatical faults"nonaccomplishment, nonachievement - an act that does not achieve its intended goal blot, smirch, smear, stain, spot - an act that brings discredit to the person who does it; "he made a huge blot on his copybook" mix-up, confusion - a mistake that results from taking one thing to be another; "he changed his name in order to avoid confusion with the notorious outlaw" incursion - the mistake of incurring liability or blame miscalculation, misestimation, misreckoning - a mistake in calculating distortion - the mistake of misrepresenting the facts parapraxis, slip-up, miscue, slip - a minor inadvertent mistake usually observed in speech or writing or in small accidents or memory lapses etc. offside - (sport) the mistake of occupying an illegal position on the playing field (in football, soccer, ice hockey, field hockey, etc.) omission, skip - a mistake resulting from neglect blooper, blunder, boo-boo, botch, bungle, flub, foul-up, pratfall, bloomer - an embarrassing mistake betise, folly, imbecility, stupidity, foolishness - a stupid mistake renege, revoke - the mistake of not following suit when able to do so |
| 2. |  mistake - an understanding of something that is not correct; "he wasn't going to admit his mistake"; "make no mistake about his intentions"; "there must be some misunderstanding--I don't have a sister"misconception - an incorrect conception | |
| 3. | mistake - part of a statement that is not correct; "the book was full of errors" misstatement - a statement that contains a mistake corrigendum - a printer's error; to be corrected erratum, literal, literal error, misprint, typo, typographical error - a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind | |
| Verb | 1. |  mistake - identify incorrectly; "Don't mistake her for her twin sister"identify - consider to be equal or the same; "He identified his brother as one of the fugitives" confuse, confound - mistake one thing for another; "you are confusing me with the other candidate"; "I mistook her for the secretary" |
| 2. |  mistake - to make a mistake or be incorrect misremember - remember incorrectly; "I misremembered the date" misjudge - judge incorrectly fall for - be deceived, duped, or entrapped by; "He fell for her charms"; "He fell for the con man's story" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
mistake
noun
1. error, blunder, oversight, slip, misunderstanding, boob (Brit. slang), misconception, gaffe (informal), slip-up (informal), bloomer (Brit. informal), clanger (informal), miscalculation, error of judgment, faux pas, false move, boo-boo (informal) He says there must have been some mistake.
make a mistake miscalculate, be wrong, blunder, err, boob (Brit. slang), slip up (informal), misjudge, goof (informal), drop a clanger (informal), put your foot in it (informal), be wide of or be off the mark I thought I had made a mistake, so I redid it.
Quotations
"We are built to make mistakes, coded for error" [Lewis Thomas The Medusa and the Snail]
"The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything" [Edward John Phelps]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
mistake
nounAn act or thought that unintentionally deviates from what is correct, right, or true:
1. To make an error or mistake:
2. To understand incorrectly:
3. To take (one thing) mistakenly for another:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
chybasplést sizaměnitzmýlit seomyl
fejlfejltagelseforveksle medtage fejl=-fejl
eraro
virheymmärtää väärin
grješkapogreškapogriješitizamijeniti s
eltévesztfélreérthiba
mistök; villaruglast/villast ávillast á
間違い間違える
실수오인하다
palaikyti ką kuosupainioti
kļūdakļūdītiesnoturēt par citupārprastpārskatīties
omylspliesť si
napakapo pomoti
misstagfelmissmissförstå
ความผิดพลาดทำให้เข้าใจผิด
lỗinhầm
mistake
[mɪsˈteɪk] (mistook (vb: pt) (mistaken (pp)))
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
mistake
[mɪˈsteɪk]
vt [mistook] (pt) [mistaken] (pp)
(= get wrong) [+ name, address] → se tromper de
At first he thought he had mistaken the address → Il a d'abord cru qu'il s'était trompé d'adresse.
(= fail to recognize) there is no mistaking ... → il n'y a aucun doute sur ...
There is no mistaking his intentions → Il n'y a aucun doute sur ses intentions.
see also mistaken
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
mistake
n → Fehler m; to make a mistake (in writing, calculating etc) → einen Fehler machen; (= be mistaken) → sich irren; you’re making a big mistake in marrying him → Sie machen or begehen (form) → einen schweren Fehler, wenn Sie ihn heiraten; to make the mistake of asking too much → den Fehler machen or begehen (form), → zu viel zu verlangen; my biggest mistake was to … → mein größter Fehler war, zu …; what a mistake (to make)! → wie kann man nur (so einen Fehler machen)!; by mistake → aus Versehen, versehentlich; she was shot in mistake for her sister → sie wurde irrtümlicherweise anstelle ihrer Schwester erschossen; there must be some mistake → da muss ein Fehler or Irrtum vorliegen; the mistake is mine → der Fehler liegt bei mir; there’s no mistake about it, … → (es besteht) kein Zweifel, …; let there be no mistake about it, make no mistake (about it) → ein(e)s steht fest: …; make no mistake, I mean what I say → damit wir uns nicht falsch verstehen: mir ist es ernst or Ernst; it’s freezing and no mistake! (inf) → (ich kann dir sagen,) das ist vielleicht eine Kälte! (inf)
vt pret <mistook>, ptp <mistaken>
to be mistaken → sich irren; to be mistaken about something/somebody → sich in etw/jdm irren; to be mistaken in thinking that … → fälschlicherweise annehmen, dass …; you are badly mistaken there → da irren Sie sich aber gewaltig!; if I am not mistaken …, unless I am (very much) mistaken … → wenn mich nicht alles täuscht …, wenn ich mich nicht irre …
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
mistake
[mɪsˈteɪk] (mistook (vb: pt) (mistaken (pp)))
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
mistake
(miˈsteik) – past tense miˈstook (-ˈstuk) : past participle miˈstaken – verb1. (with for) to think that (one person or thing) is another. I mistook you for my brother in this bad light.
2. to make an error about. They mistook the date, and arrived two days early.
nouna wrong act or judgement. a spelling mistake; It was a mistake to trust him; I took your umbrella by mistake – it looks like mine.
miˈstaken adjectivewrong. You are mistaken if you think he's clever.
miˈstakenly adverbKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
mistake
→ غَلَطٌ, يُخْطِأَ بَيْنَ chyba, splést si fejl, tage fejl Fehler, verwechseln λάθος, παρανοώ confundir, error virhe, ymmärtää väärin erreur, se tromper pogreška, zamijeniti s confondere, errore 間違い, 間違える 실수, 오인하다 fout, vergissen (zich) feiltagelse, ta feil błąd, pomylić confundir, errar, erro ошибаться, ошибка missförstå, misstag ความผิดพลาด, ทำให้เข้าใจผิด hata, hata yapmak lỗi, nhầm 弄错, 错误Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
mistake
n. error, equivocación, desacierto, falta;
vr. equivocarse, confundirse;
vi. equivocar, entender mal, confundir.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012