Misstep

//ˈmɪs.stɛp// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A step that is wrong, a false step.

    "On a high ledge, a misstep could be fatal."

  2. 2
    an unintentional but embarrassing blunder wordnet
  3. 3
    An error or mistake. figuratively

    "His comment was a misstep that could cost him dearly."

Verb
  1. 1
    To step badly or incorrectly. intransitive

    "My dance partner misstepped and landed on my toe."

  2. 2
    To make an error or mistake. intransitive

    "I don't want to misstep by offending them."

Synonyms

All synonyms
errortripbalkbevuebloomerblooper

Example

More examples

"The tabloids love to slag off celebrities for the slightest misstep, often blowing things out of proportion."

Etymology

From mis- + step.

Related phrases

false step

More for "misstep"

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