misspeak
Americanverb (used with or without object)
-
to speak, utter, or pronounce incorrectly.
-
to speak inaccurately, inappropriately, or too hastily.
Etymology
Origin of misspeak
1150–1200; Middle English misspeken; mis- 1, speak; compare Old English missprecan to murmur
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But representatives of the art form have a duty to swallow their fear of misspeaking.
From Salon
The reaction was over the top, a case of Miller slightly misspeaking, when actually showing confidence and ambition in the unforgiving world of football is nothing to be ashamed of.
From BBC
Inevitably, some minor slip-up or misspeak would send us into debilitating, tear-filled laughter.
From Salon
“Mistaking someone or misspeaking doesn’t mean you have dementia,” said Dr. Zaldy S. Tan, director of the Cedars-Sinai Memory and Healthy Aging Program.
From Los Angeles Times
John Wihbey, a journalism professor at Northeastern University who has studied presidential communication, said Mr. Biden’s team overreacts to fears that he may misspeak.
From Washington Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
