Misspeak: meaning, definitions and examples
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misspeak
[ mɪsˈspiːk ]
speak mistakenly
To misspeak means to say something inaccurately or incorrectly, often unintentionally. It can refer to making a verbal mistake or misrepresenting information during speech. This term is commonly used in situations where the speaker realizes that their words were not aligned with their intent. Misspeaking can happen in various contexts, such as public speaking, casual conversation, or media interviews.
Synonyms
mangle, misquote, misrepresent, misstate
Examples of usage
- During the debate, the candidate seemed to misspeak about their policy.
- She didn't mean to misspeak; she was just nervous.
- The professor acknowledged he may have misspoken in his lecture.
- He tends to misspeak when he is under pressure.
Translations
Translations of the word "misspeak" in other languages:
🇵🇹 falar incorretamente
🇮🇳 गलत बोलना
🇩🇪 falsch sprechen
🇮🇩 berbicara salah
🇺🇦 неправильно висловитися
🇵🇱 mówić źle
🇯🇵 間違って話す
🇫🇷 mal parler
🇪🇸 hablar incorrectamente
🇹🇷 yanlış konuşmak
🇰🇷 잘못 말하다
🇸🇦 التحدث بشكل خاطئ
🇨🇿 mluvit špatně
🇸🇰 zle hovoriť
🇨🇳 说错
🇸🇮 narobe govoriti
🇮🇸 tala rangt
🇰🇿 қате сөйлеу
🇬🇪 არასწორად საუბარი
🇦🇿 səhv danışmaq
🇲🇽 hablar incorrectamente
Etymology
The term 'misspeak' is a compound word formed by the prefix 'mis-', meaning 'wrongly', and the verb 'speak', which originates from the Old English 'specan', meaning 'to talk, say, or speak'. The prefix 'mis-' is derived from Old English, often indicating an error or a wrong action. The combination of these elements to create 'misspeak' appears to have emerged in more recent times, particularly in 20th century English, as the need for a term to describe verbal errors in public or formal contexts grew more prominent. Misspeaking often draws attention, especially in political discourse, where precision of language is crucial. Thus, the term has gained traction as a way to excuse or explain away slips of the tongue in speeches or interviews, reflecting the growing importance of communication in the public sphere.