misdeed
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Middle English misdede, from Old English misdǣd (“misdeed”), from Proto-Germanic *missadēdiz (“misdeed”); equivalent to mis- + deed. Cognate with Scots misded (“misdeed”), West Frisian misdied (“misdeed”), Dutch misdaad (“misdeed”), German Missetat (“misdeed”), Swedish missdåd (“misdeed”), Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐍃𐍃𐌰𐌳𐌴𐌸𐍃 (missadēþs, “misdeed”).
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
misdeed (plural misdeeds)
- That which was done that should not have been, ranging from any sin or moral offense to various degrees of crime.
- The petty misdeeds of his youth came back to haunt him when he ran for political office and his character was smeared.
SynonymsEdit
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
something wrong done
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See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967