misspeak en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /mɪsˈspiːk/ (UK)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-? Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂-der. Proto-Germanic *missaz Proto-Germanic *missa- Proto-West Germanic *missa- Old English mis- Proto-Indo-European *spregʰ-? Proto-Indo-European *spreg-? Proto-Germanic *sprekaną Proto-West Germanic *sprekan Old English sprecan Old English missprecan Middle English mysspeken English misspeak From Middle English misspeken, mispeken, mysspeken, from Old English *misspecan, missprecan (“to murmur”), equivalent to mis- + speak.
Meanings
-
(US, ambitransitive) To fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly.
In July, both Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves appeared to contradict the commitment to public ownership - but then subsequently said they had misspoken.
2022 October 5, Conrad Landin, “Network News: Labour resolves to put rail "in the hands of the public"”, in RAIL, number 967, page 16:The president’s comments on Wednesday came after Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chamber’s only Black Republican, said that “white supremacy should be denounced at every turn. I think he misspoke, I think he should correct it. If he doesn’t correct it I guess he didn’t misspeak.”
2020 September 30, “Trump Faces Torrent of Criticism From Fellow Republicans After Failing to Denounce White Supremacy”, in New York Times:Either I misspoke or you misheard.
- (intransitive, obsolete) To speak insultingly or disrespectfully.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| misspeaking | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| misspoke | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| misspeaks | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| misspoken | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Relateds
misstate · misphrase · misword
Synonyms
Translations (9)
nl misspreken (to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly) · nl verspreken (to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly) · pl przejęzyczyć się (to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly) · pl przejęzyczać się (to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly) · pt falar errado (to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly) · enm mysspeken (to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly) · de versprechen (to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly) · ru оговори́ться (to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly) · eo misparoli (to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly)