mistake

mis·take

M0345500 (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.

mistake

(mɪˈsteɪk) n1. an error or blunder in action, opinion, or judgment2. a misconception or misunderstandingvb, -takes, -taking, -took or -taken3. (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

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.

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.

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

Thesaurus

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"error, faultnonaccomplishment, nonachievement - an act that does not achieve its intended goalblot, 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 blamemiscalculation, misestimation, misreckoning - a mistake in calculatingdistortion - the mistake of misrepresenting the factsparapraxis, 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.)lapse, oversight - a mistake resulting from inattentionomission, skip - a mistake resulting from neglectblooper, blunder, boner, boo-boo, botch, bungle, flub, foul-up, fuckup, pratfall, bloomer - an embarrassing mistakeballs-up, ballup, cockup, mess-up - something badly botched or muddledbetise, folly, imbecility, stupidity, foolishness - a stupid mistakerenege, 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"misapprehension, misunderstandingmisconception - an incorrect conception
	3.	mistake - part of a statement that is not correct; "the book was full of errors"errormisstatement - a statement that contains a mistakecorrigendum - a printer's error; to be correctederratum, 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"misidentifyidentify - 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 err, slipmisremember - remember incorrectly; "I misremembered the date"slip up, trip up, stumble - make an error; "She slipped up and revealed the name"misjudge - judge incorrectlyfall for - be deceived, duped, or entrapped by; "He fell for her charms"; "He fell for the con man's story"

mistake

noun1. 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.verb1. oversight, error, slip, inaccuracy, fault, slip-up (informal), howler (informal), goof, solecism, erratum Spelling mistakes are often just the result of haste.2. confuse with, accept as, take for, mix up with, misinterpret as, confound with Hayfever is often mistaken for a summer cold.3. misunderstand, misinterpret, misjudge, misread, misconstrue, get wrong, misapprehend, misconceive No one should mistake how serious this issue is.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]

mistake

nounAn act or thought that unintentionally deviates from what is correct, right, or true:erratum, error, inaccuracy, incorrectness, lapse, miscue, misstep, slip, slip-up, trip.verb1. To make an error or mistake:err, miscue, slip, slip up, stumble, trip up.2. To understand incorrectly:misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misread, misunderstand.3. To take (one thing) mistakenly for another:confound, confuse, mix up.

Translations

错误弄错把...错认搞错

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.把...错认2. to make an error about. They mistook the date, and arrived two days early.搞错 noun a wrong act or judgement. a spelling mistake; It was a mistake to trust him; I took your umbrella by mistake – it looks like mine.错误miˈstaken adjective wrong. You are mistaken if you think he's clever.错误的miˈstakenly adverb错误地

mistake

→ 弄错zhCN, 错误zhCN

mistake

an honest mistake

A mistake made unintentionally or unknowingly and without the intention of causing harm; a mistake that anyone might have made in similar circumstances. It was an honest mistake! How was I to know that you wouldn't want me to send that letter with the rest of the mail?See also: honest, mistake

by mistake

Accidentally; unintentionally. I am so sorry, sir—I gave you the wrong dish by mistake. Oh, they hung up—they called the wrong number by mistake.See also: by, mistake

make no mistake

What I have said or am about to say is absolutely certain; do not think otherwise. Make no mistake, I intend to take this all the way to the Supreme Court if I have to. Make no mistake, this was a carefully orchestrated crime—not some amateur job.See also: make, mistake, no

make no mistake about it

What I have said or am about to say is absolutely certain; do not think otherwise. I intend to take this all the way to the Supreme Court if I have to. Make no mistake about it. Make no mistake about it, this was a carefully orchestrated crime—not some amateur job.See also: make, mistake, no

mistake (someone or something) for (someone or something)

To confuse someone or something for someone or something else. I always mistake Kelly for her sister. They just look so much alike!See also: mistake

and no mistake

A phrase used to emphasize the statement that precedes it. She's a lovely woman and no mistake.See also: and, mistake, no

in mistake for (something)

Mistaking one thing for something else. Manufacturers are being forced to package laundry detergent pods in childproof packaging, following a number of incidents in which young children have eaten the small, colorful products in mistake for candy. The defendant claims he simply grabbed the bag of narcotics in mistake for his own.See also: mistake

there's no mistaking (someone or something)

Someone or something is clearly and easily recognizable or identifiable. Justine left this note: there's no mistaking her handwriting. You should see him standing next to the ticket desk at the station—he's wearing a bright pink fedora, so there's no mistaking him.See also: mistake, no

make a mistake

To do something incorrectly or erroneously; to make an error of some kind. Look, I made a mistake—I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions and blamed you for what happened. We've all made mistakes, but it's important to own up to them and learn from what happened.See also: make, mistake

mix (one) up with (someone)

1. To confuse or mistake one person for another. I always mix Kelly up with her younger sister—they look so much alike! Sorry, I think I'm mixing him up with someone from the accounting team.2. To involve or embroil one with some other person, especially someone who is problematic, unpleasant, dangerous, etc. Often used in passive constructions. I heard Tom's gotten mixed up with some pretty shady people since he moved to New York City. I don't want you mixing Sarah up with any troublemakers, you hear me?See also: mix, up

if you don't make mistakes, you don't make anything

Engaging in creative work will always result in mistakes; doing nothing is the only way to avoid making mistakes. Of course you'll make mistakes if you start your own business, but if you don't make mistakes, you don't make anything.See also: anything, if, make

by mistake

in error; accidentally. I'm sorry. I came into the wrong room by mistake. I chose the wrong road by mistake. Now we are lost.See also: by, mistake

If you don't make mistakes, you don't make anything.

Prov. If you try to do something, you will likely make mistakes.; The only way to make no mistakes is to avoid trying to do anything. (Can be used to console someone who has made a mistake.) Alan: I'm sorry there's no dessert. I tried to make a cake, but I messed it up. Jane: That's OK, dear; if you don't make mistakes, you don't make anything. It's a shame that you ruined the sweater you were making, but if you don't make mistakes, you don't make anything.See also: anything, if, make

make a mistake

to commit an error; to do something wrong accidentally. I made a mistake and I am really sorry about it.See also: make, mistake

Make no mistake (about it)!

Inf. Do not be mistaken! You can be certain. Sally: I'm very angry with you! Make no mistake about it! Fred: Whatever it's about, I'm sorry. Clerk: Make no mistake, this is the finest carpet available. Sally: I'd like something a little less fine, I think.See also: make, no

mistake (someone) for (someone else)

and mix (someone) up with (someone else)to confuse someone with someone else; to think that one person is another person. I'm sorry. I mistook you for John. Tom is always mistaking Bill for me. We don't look a thing alike, though. Try not to mix Bill up with Bob, his twin.See also: mistake

mistake (something) for (something else)

and mix (something) up with (something else)to confuse two things with each other. Please don't mix this idea up with that one. I mistook my book for yours.See also: mistake

mix someone up with someone else Go to mistake someone for someone

else.See also: else, go, mistake, mix, up

mix something up with something else Go to mistake something for something

else.See also: else, go, mistake, mix, up

by mistake

Erroneously, as in He took my coat by mistake. [c. 1700] See also: by, mistake

make no mistake

Have no doubt, certainly, as in Make no mistake-I'll vote Republican no matter who runs. [Mid-1800s] Also see get someone wrong. See also: make, mistake, no

mistake for

Take someone or something for someone or something else, as in I'm sorry, I mistook you for her sister, or Don't mistake that friendly smile for good intentions; he's a tough competitor. [c. 1600] See also: mistake

and no mistake

without any doubt. informal 1993 Sam McAughtry Touch & Go He was a headcase and no mistake. See also: and, mistake, no

make no mistake (about it)

do not be deceived into thinking otherwise. informal 1974 Times Make no mistake. We had a major work of television last night. See also: make, mistake, no

there is no mistaking someone or something

it is impossible not to recognize someone or something.See also: mistake, no, someone, something, there

and ˈno mistake!

(old-fashioned, especially British English) used to show that you are sure about the truth of what you have just said: The dinner party was a disaster, and no mistake!See also: and, no

by miˈstake

accidentally; without intending to: I took your bag instead of mine by mistake.See also: by, mistake

in miˈstake for something

thinking that something is something else: Children may eat pills in mistake for sweets.See also: mistake, something

ˌmake no miˈstake (about something)

(spoken) used to emphasize what you are saying, especially when you want to warn somebody about something: Make no mistake (about it), this is one crisis that won’t just go away.See also: make, mistake, no

there’s no miˈstaking somebody/something

somebody/something is easy to recognize; something is obvious: There’s no mistaking her voice — she’s got a very strong Scottish accent. ♢ There’s no mistaking the new mood of optimism in the country.See also: mistake, no, somebody, something

mistake for

v. To wrongly perceive that someone or something is someone or something else: I'm sorry to have bothered you—I mistook you for a friend of mine. Don't mistake the poison ivy for a box elder vine!See also: mistake

Make no mistake (about it)!

sent. an expression signifying the sincerity of the speaker’s previous statements. Make no mistake! This is the real thing. See also: make, mistake, no

Make no mistake !

verbSee Make no mistake about it!See also: make, no

mistake

mis·take

mistake

mis•take

mistake

mistake

mistake

mistake

mistake

mistake

mistake

an honest mistake

by mistake

make no mistake

make no mistake about it

mistake (someone or something) for (someone or something)

and no mistake

in mistake for (something)

there's no mistaking (someone or something)

make a mistake

mix (one) up with (someone)

if you don't make mistakes, you don't make anything

by mistake

If you don't make mistakes, you don't make anything.

make a mistake

Make no mistake (about it)!

mistake (someone) for (someone else)

mistake (something) for (something else)

mix someone up with someone else Go to mistake someone for someone

mix something up with something else Go to mistake something for something

by mistake

make no mistake

mistake for

and no mistake

make no mistake (about it)

there is no mistaking someone or something

and ˈno mistake!

by miˈstake

in miˈstake for something

ˌmake no miˈstake (about something)

there’s no miˈstaking somebody/something

mistake for

Make no mistake (about it)!

Make no mistake !

mistake

mistake

mistake

mistake

mistake

Patient discussion about mistake

mistake

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Synonyms for mistake

noun error

Synonyms

verb oversight

Synonyms

verb confuse with

Synonyms

verb misunderstand

Synonyms

phrase make a mistake

Synonyms

Synonyms for mistake

noun an act or thought that unintentionally deviates from what is correct, right, or true

Synonyms

verb to make an error or mistake

Synonyms

verb to understand incorrectly

Synonyms

verb to take (one thing) mistakenly for another

Synonyms

Synonyms for mistake

noun a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

Synonyms

Related Words

noun an understanding of something that is not correct