Verb / Noun A2 — Elementary /mɪs/

Miss — Definition, Examples & Usage

To fail to reach something, or to feel its absence — one small word with two very different emotions.

Quick Definition

Miss (verb): to fail to hit, catch, reach, or experience something; or to feel sadness because someone or something is not present.

Miss (noun): a failure to hit or reach a target; also used in the phrase give something a miss (to decide not to do something).

What Does Miss Mean?

Miss is one of those deceptively simple words that carries two quite distinct meanings. The first is physical and practical: you miss a ball when you swing and fail to connect, or you miss a train when you arrive at the platform too late. The second is emotional: you miss a person when they are far away and their absence creates a feeling of longing or sadness.

The word comes from Old English missan, meaning "to fail to hit" — itself from a Proto-Germanic root *missjan, meaning "to go wrong". The emotional sense of longing developed later in Middle English, around the 12th to 14th centuries, and is now arguably the more common usage in everyday conversation.

Understanding both senses — and the grammar associated with each — is essential for communicating naturally in British English. Note in particular that miss is always followed by a gerund (-ing form) when it refers to missing an activity, not an infinitive. This is a regular source of error for learners at B1 level and above.

Example Sentences (A2–C1)

SentenceLevel & usage note
I really miss my family when I travel abroad. A2 emotional sense — miss + noun phrase
He kicked the ball but missed the goal completely. A2 physical sense — fail to hit a target
Don't be late — you'll miss the last bus home. B1 failing to catch transport
She admitted that she missed living by the sea after moving to the city. B2 miss + gerund — emotional, referring to an activity
The report narrowly missed the key point the committee had been pressing for weeks. C1 figurative sense — fail to grasp or address something

Common Collocations

CollocationMeaningExample
miss the bus / train / flight fail to board transport in time She overslept and missed her flight to Edinburgh.
miss a deadline fail to complete something on time The team missed the deadline by two days.
miss the point fail to understand the main idea I think you're missing the point of the exercise.
narrowly miss almost fail to avoid something The cyclist narrowly missed the open car door.
miss an opportunity fail to take advantage of a chance Don't miss this opportunity to improve your English.
miss someone dearly / terribly feel a strong emotional absence She missed her late husband terribly.
give something a miss decide not to do or have something (informal British) I'll give the pudding a miss tonight, thanks.
near miss an accident that was almost but not quite avoided There was a near miss on the motorway this morning.

Usage Notes

Key Grammar Points

  • Miss + gerund (not infinitive): Always say I miss living there, never I miss to live there. Compare with want and would like, which take the infinitive.
  • Miss + noun phrase: You can miss a person, a place, or a thing directly: I miss London, I miss my dog.
  • Missing as adjective: The present participle missing functions as an adjective meaning "absent" or "not found": a missing person, the missing documents.
  • Noun use — a miss: Less common but standard: It was a miss by inches. The plural misses appears in sporting contexts: two hits and three misses.
  • Miss (title): Written with a capital letter and used before a surname for an unmarried woman. This is entirely unrelated to the verb and noun forms.

Related Words

missed (adj/past) missing (adj) near miss (n) mishit (v/n) overlook (v) yearn (v) long for (v) pine for (v)

Synonyms

fail to hit fail to catch overlook long for yearn for pine for crave

Common Mistakes

Watch Out For

I miss to see you every morning.

I miss seeing you every morning. (miss + gerund, never infinitive)

She missed the point of the argument since the beginning.

She had been missing the point of the argument from the beginning. (use a progressive or perfect form to show duration)

He is a miss teacher. (confusing the noun "miss" with the title "Miss")

She is a Miss (title, always capitalised and used only with a name or alone as a form of address).

Practise This Word

Flash Cards Complete the Sentence Vocabulary Quiz Hangman

Related Vocabulary

All Common Words → Grammar Glossary Vocabulary Hub Flash Cards

Frequently Asked Questions about “miss”

What does miss mean in English?
Miss has two main meanings. As a verb it means (1) to fail to hit, catch, or reach something ('I missed the bus'), or (2) to feel sad because someone or something is no longer present ('I really miss my family'). As a noun, a miss is an occasion when you fail to hit a target ('That was a near miss').
What is the difference between miss and lose?
Miss focuses on failing to reach, catch, or experience something at the right moment ('I missed the train', 'You missed a great party'). Lose refers to no longer having something or being defeated ('I lost my keys', 'We lost the match'). You miss an opportunity but you lose a possession.
How do you use miss with a person?
When you miss a person, you feel sad because they are not with you: 'I miss my grandmother terribly.' This is followed directly by a noun or pronoun — never a preposition. You can also say 'I miss talking to her' (miss + gerund) to express missing a specific activity with that person.
Can miss be followed by a gerund?
Yes. Miss is followed by a gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive: 'I miss living in London' (correct); 'I miss to live in London' (incorrect). This is a frequent mistake among ESL learners who confuse miss with other verbs such as want or would like, which take the infinitive.
What are common collocations with miss?
Common collocations include: miss the bus/train/flight (fail to catch transport), miss a deadline (fail to meet a time limit), miss the point (fail to understand the main idea), narrowly miss (almost fail to avoid), miss an opportunity (fail to take advantage of a chance), and miss someone dearly / terribly (feel their absence strongly).
What is a near miss?
A near miss is a situation in which an accident or collision almost happened but was avoided at the last moment. It is widely used in aviation, road safety, and everyday British English: 'There was a near miss between two cars at the junction.' Despite the phrase, a near miss is actually a near hit — the terminology is often noted as a linguistic quirk.
What is the noun form of miss?
The noun miss refers to a failed attempt to hit or catch something: 'It was a miss by just a few centimetres.' The plural is misses. In informal British English, you might also hear 'give something a miss', meaning to decide not to do or have something: 'I'll give the pudding a miss tonight.'
What is the difference between miss and Miss (capital M)?
Miss with a capital M is a title used before the surname of an unmarried woman: 'Miss Johnson'. The verb and noun miss are written in lower case unless they begin a sentence. Be careful not to confuse these in writing, particularly in formal correspondence.
What is the past tense of miss?
Miss is a regular verb. The past simple and past participle are both missed: 'She missed the meeting yesterday.' 'He has never missed a single lesson.' The -ing form is missing, which can also be used as an adjective meaning absent or not found: 'Several pages are missing from the report.'
How can I practise the word miss in English?
Try LexFizz's Complete the Sentence exercise to practise miss in different contexts, or use the Flash Cards tool to test yourself on miss, missed, missing, and related words. Writing short diary entries about people or places you miss is also an excellent way to internalise the emotional usage of this word.