Mistake Meaning
/mɪˈsteɪk/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo understand wrongly, taking one thing or person for another.
verbTo misunderstand (someone).
Sentence Examples
If you see a mistake, then please correct it.
Spenser's mother often scrutinizes him for every small mistake he makes.
It's easy to make a mistake.
CEFR Practice Quiz
He made a silly ____ on the test because he didn't read carefully.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I made a huge ____ by forgetting to bring my passport to the airport, and now I have to go back home to get it.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English mistaken, from Old Norse mistaka (“to take in error, to miscarry”); equivalent to mis- + take. Cognate with Icelandic mistaka (“to mistake”), Swedish missta (“to mistake”) (before apocope misstaga). The noun, which replaced earlier mistaking, is derived from the verb. Compare Swedish misstag (“mistake”, noun), Faroese mistak (“mitake”, noun), Icelandic mistak (“mistake”, noun).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"My father’s purposes have been mistook;"
— c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV,, scene ii]:
"The reigning error of his life was, that he mistook the love for the practice of virtue, and was indeed not so much a good man, as the friend of goodness."
— 1777, Samuel Johnson, “Life of the Author”, in The Works of Richard Savage with an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author, volume I, London: T. Evans, page lxi:
"Because I don't want to know
I didn't want to know
I just didn't want to know
I just didn't want
Mistook the nods for an approval
Just ignore the smoke and smile"
— 2003, “Blue”, performed by A Perfect Circle:
"Miſtake me not, my Lord, ’tis not my meaning / To raze one Title of your Honour out."
— 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 32:
"[…] at last she so evidently demonstrated her Affection to him to be much stronger than what she bore her own Son, that it was impossible to mistake her any longer."
— 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 6, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume I, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book III, page 194:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
He made a silly ____ on the test because he didn't read carefully.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I made a huge ____ by forgetting to bring my passport to the airport, and now I have to go back home to get it.