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misplay: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

C1
UK/ˌmɪsˈpleɪ/US/ˌmɪsˈpleɪ/

Formal, journalistic, sporting commentary. Used mainly in sports and games contexts.

My Flashcards

Quick answer

What does “misplay” mean?

To play (a ball, shot, card, etc.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

To play (a ball, shot, card, etc.) incorrectly or faultily.

To fail to handle a situation, object, or role properly; to perform an action in a clumsy or erroneous way.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Usage is essentially identical across varieties. Spelling is consistent.

Connotations

Neutral description of an error; implies fault but not necessarily incompetence.

Frequency

Equally common in both BrE and AmE sports reporting.

Grammar

How to Use “misplay” in a Sentence

[Subject: player/team] misplay [Object: ball/card/shot][Subject: person] misplay [Object: situation/role]

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
badly misplaycompletely misplaymisplay a shotmisplay a cardmisplay the ball
medium
costly misplayfielding misplaycritical misplaytend to misplaylead to a misplay
weak
unfortunate misplayrare misplayseries of misplaysblame the misplay

Examples

Examples of “misplay” in a Sentence

verb

British English

  • The striker misplayed a simple pass in the final minute.
  • She misplayed her queen, losing the bridge hand.

American English

  • The shortstop misplayed the ground ball, allowing a run to score.
  • He misplayed his position during the debate.

adverb

British English

  • Not standardly used as an adverb.

American English

  • Not standardly used as an adverb.

adjective

British English

  • The misplayed backhand cost her the match.

American English

  • A misplayed fly ball resulted in a triple.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Rare. Could be used metaphorically: 'The CEO misplayed the merger negotiations.'

Academic

Very rare outside of sports/game theory analysis.

Everyday

Limited to discussions of sports or games.

Technical

Common in sports analytics, commentary, and rulebooks (e.g., baseball, cricket, bridge).

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “misplay”

Weak

err onmistime

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “misplay”

execute perfectlyhandle flawlesslyplay correctly

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “misplay”

  • Using it intransitively (e.g., 'He misplayed' is incomplete without an object). Overusing in non-sport contexts.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Primarily, yes. Its core use is in sports and games (cards, chess). It can be used metaphorically in other competitive contexts like business or politics.

The noun is also 'misplay' (e.g., 'a costly misplay').

It is standard, formal-enough for commentary and journalism, but not overly academic. It's a precise technical term in its domains.

'Misplay' is more specific. It refers to an error in the physical or strategic execution of a play in a game/sport. A 'mistake' is a general term for any error.

To play (a ball, shot, card, etc.

Misplay: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsˈpleɪ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsˈpleɪ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “No specific idioms. Often appears in phrases like 'a costly misplay'.”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: MIS + PLAY. You play something wrong (mis-).

Conceptual Metaphor

PERFORMANCE IS A GAME (extended to non-game contexts).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
In a critical moment, the defender the cross, heading it into his own net.
Multiple Choice

In which context is 'misplay' LEAST likely to be used?

misplay: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples | Lingvocore