What does "mislay" mean?

To leave or lay something in the wrong place and then forget where one put it.

What is a synonym for "mislay"?

Common synonyms include: misplace, misplace, be bereaved of, default, disarrange, drop.

//mɪsˈleɪ// verb

verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Verb

1
To leave or lay something in the wrong place and then forget where one put it. transitive
"He cannot see well, mislays his glasses, and frequently mismends the nets."
2
place (something) where one cannot find it again wordnet
3
To err in placing something. obsolete, transitive
"[F]ire, if it be well and rightly vſed, burneth in the houſe to the good and pꝛofit of the familie: but if miſlayed oꝛ abuſed, burneth the houſe to the vndoing of the inhabitantes: […]"

"I often mislay my glasses and spend time looking for them."

From Middle English mysse layen, equivalent to mis- + lay.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.