something's amiss

Meaning

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   Used to say that there is a problem or something is not as it should be, though you may not know exactly what.

   Grammar: Often a hunch rather than a proven fact: she sensed something was amiss.

   Patterns

   • sense something's amiss
   • suspect something's amiss

   When the lights were off and the door was open, Carl knew something was amiss.

   I could tell something's amiss from the way she avoided my eyes.

   Nobody answered the phone all day, so the neighbours suspected something was amiss.

Common combinations

sense that something is amiss

The teacher sensed that something was amiss in the quiet classroom.

realise something is amiss

She realised something was amiss when the dog did not run to greet her.

suspect something is amiss

The bank suspected something was amiss with the account.

notice something amiss

He noticed nothing amiss at first.

seem amiss

Nothing seemed amiss on the surface.

Synonyms and how they differ

something's wrong

Something's wrong is plain everyday speech, while something's amiss sounds more old-fashioned and slightly dramatic.

something's off

Something's off is casual and suggests a subtle oddness more than a real problem.

something's up

Something's up is informal and hints that something unusual or secret is happening.

something's fishy

Something's fishy adds a suspicion of dishonesty, which amiss does not require.

Opposites

Word family

amiss adjective

wrong or not as it should be

amiss adverb

in a wrong way, as in go amiss

miss verb

to fail to hit or notice

Commonly confused: something's amiss or remiss?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “something's amiss”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words