Mislay: meaning, definitions and examples

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mislay

[ mɪsˈleɪ ]

Verb

^{Context #1 | Verb}

everyday life

To lose or misplace something temporarily by forgetting where it was placed.

Synonyms

lose, misplace, misplace.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
mislay	Used when someone temporarily places an item in an incorrect or unknown location, often with the expectation of finding it again. I seem to have mislaid my keys somewhere in the house
lose	Used when someone is unable to find an item, often with the implication that the item may be gone for good or for a long time. I lost my wallet yesterday and still can't find it
misplace	Used when someone puts an item in the wrong place, usually causing temporary inconvenience, sometimes carries a slight negative connotation of carelessness. He misplaced his glasses again, and now he's searching the whole office

Word

Description / Examples

mislay

Used when someone temporarily places an item in an incorrect or unknown location, often with the expectation of finding it again.

I seem to have mislaid my keys somewhere in the house

lose

Used when someone is unable to find an item, often with the implication that the item may be gone for good or for a long time.

I lost my wallet yesterday and still can't find it

misplace

Used when someone puts an item in the wrong place, usually causing temporary inconvenience, sometimes carries a slight negative connotation of carelessness.

He misplaced his glasses again, and now he's searching the whole office

Examples of usage

I seem to have mislaid my keys again.
She mislaid her phone and couldn't find it for hours.

^{Context #2 | Verb}

formal

To misplace or lose an object by unintentionally putting it in the wrong place.

Synonyms

lose, misplace, misplace.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
mislay	This word is usually used when you have temporarily put something in the wrong place and cannot find it at the moment, but you expect to find it later. I've mislaid my keys. I just had them a moment ago. She often mislays her glasses.
misplace	Similar to 'mislay', this is used when something has been put in the wrong place. It is frequently used in everyday situations involving minor inconveniences. I've misplaced my phone. Have you seen it? He tends to misplace important documents.
lose	This word has a broader meaning and can be used when you have permanently or temporarily lost possession or cannot find something. It carries a more general sense than 'mislay'. I lost my wallet yesterday and I'm worried I won't get it back. Don't lose hope, we'll find your cat.

Word

Description / Examples

mislay

This word is usually used when you have temporarily put something in the wrong place and cannot find it at the moment, but you expect to find it later.

I've mislaid my keys. I just had them a moment ago.
She often mislays her glasses.

misplace

Similar to 'mislay', this is used when something has been put in the wrong place. It is frequently used in everyday situations involving minor inconveniences.

I've misplaced my phone. Have you seen it?
He tends to misplace important documents.

lose

This word has a broader meaning and can be used when you have permanently or temporarily lost possession or cannot find something. It carries a more general sense than 'mislay'.

I lost my wallet yesterday and I'm worried I won't get it back.
Don't lose hope, we'll find your cat.

Examples of usage

He mislaid the important document and had to search for it frantically.
The ring was mislaid during the move and was found months later.

Translations

Translations of the word "mislay" in other languages:

🇵🇹 perder

🇮🇳 खो देना

🇩🇪 verlegen

🇮🇩 kehilangan

🇺🇦 загубити

🇵🇱 zgubić

🇯🇵 置き忘れる (oki wasureru)

🇫🇷 égarer

🇪🇸 extraviar

🇹🇷 kaybetmek

🇰🇷 잃어버리다 (il-eobeolida)

🇸🇦 فقد

🇨🇿 ztratit

🇸🇰 stratiť

🇨🇳 丢失 (diūshī)

🇸🇮 izgubiti

🇮🇸 týna

🇰🇿 жоғалту

🇬🇪 დაკარგვა

🇦🇿 itirmək

🇲🇽 extraviar

Etymology

The word 'mislay' originated from Middle English 'misleyen', which meant 'to lose, to destroy'. Over time, the prefix 'mis-' came to signify 'badly, wrongly', and 'lay' referred to 'to place'. Therefore, 'mislay' evolved to mean 'to place wrongly or badly', leading to the modern definition of losing or misplacing something temporarily.

See also: lay, layabout, layer, layoff, layout, layover, outlay, outlays, relay.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #41,049, this word is among the less frequently used terms in English. While interesting to know, it's not crucial for most English learners unless needed for specific purposes.

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