miss the boat

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

boat /boʊt/   n. [countable]

1. Nautical a vessel for transport by water.
2. Nautical a small ship, generally for specialized use:
   a fishing boat.
3. Ceramics a boat-shaped serving dish:
   a gravy boat.

Idioms

4. Idioms in the same boat, in similar difficult circumstances:
   We're all in the same boat, so we should work together.
5. Idioms, Informal Terms miss the boat, Informal.
   • to fail to take advantage of an opportunity: He missed the boat when he applied too late.
   • to miss the point of;
     fail to understand: I missed the boat on that explanation.
6. Idioms rock the boat. See rock² (def. 12).

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

miss¹ /mɪs/   v. 

1. to fail to hit: [~ + object]
   missed the first pitch.
   [no object]
   He swung and missed.
2. to fail to meet, catch, etc.:
   [~ + object] to miss a train.
3. to fail to take advantage of:
   [~ + object] I missed a chance to meet him.
4. to fail to be present for:
   [~ + object] to miss school.
5. to notice the absence or loss of:
   [not: be + ~-ing* ~ + object] When did you first miss your wallet?
6. to regret the absence or loss of: [~ + object]
   I miss you all dreadfully.
   [~ + verb-ing]
   He missed watching the African sunsets.
7. to escape or avoid:
   [not: be + ~-ing* ~ + verb-ing] He just missed being caught.
8. to fail to understand:
   [~ + object] to miss the point of a remark.
9. (of a car, etc.) to misfire:
   [no object] The car was missing on all four cylinders.
10. miss out, [no object] to fail to experience or take advantage of something:
    They missed out on a golden opportunity to improve their financial situation.

n. [countable]

11. a failure of any kind, esp. to hit something:
    a couple of swings and misses and the game is over.
12. a misfire.

Idioms

13. Idioms miss the boat, Informal. to fail to take advantage of an opportunity:
    He missed the boat by failing to apply for the grant.

miss² /mɪs/   n., pl. miss•es. 

1. This word is used as a title of respect before the name of an unmarried woman:
   [Miss] Miss Mary Jones.
2. This word is used as a polite form of address to a young woman:
   [Miss] Miss, please bring me some ketchup.
3. This word is used as a title before the name of a place, or a quality, that a young woman has been selected to represent:
   [Miss] Miss America.
4. [countable] a young unmarried woman;
   girl.
5. Clothing misses, [plural]
   • Clothing a range of sizes, chiefly from 6 to 20, for garments that fit women of average height and build.
   • Clothing a garment in this size range.

Miss.,  an abbreviation of:

1. Mississippi.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

boat  (bōt), n. 

1. Nautical a vessel for transport by water, constructed to provide buoyancy by excluding water and shaped to give stability and permit propulsion.
2. Nautical a small ship, generally for specialized use:
   a fishing boat.
3. Nautical a small vessel carried for use by a large one, as a lifeboat:
   They lowered the boats for evacuation.
4. Nautical, Naval Terms a ship.
5. Nautical, Naval Terms a vessel of any size built for navigation on a river or other inland body of water.
6. Ceramics a serving dish resembling a boat:
   a gravy boat; a celery boat.
7. [Eccles.] a container for holding incense before it is placed in the censer.
8. Idioms in the same boat, in the same circumstances;
   faced with the same problems:
   The new recruits were all in the same boat.
9. Idioms, Informal Terms miss the boat, [Informal.]
   • to fail to take advantage of an opportunity:
     He missed the boat when he applied too late to get into college.
   • to miss the point of;
     fail to understand:
     I missed the boat on that explanation.
10. Idioms rock the boat. See rock² (def. 12).

v.i. 

11. Nautical, Naval Terms to go in a boat:
    We boated down the Thames.

v.t. 

12. Nautical, Naval Terms to transport in a boat:
    They boated us across the bay.
13. Nautical, Naval Terms to remove (an oar) from the water and place athwartships. Cf. ship (def. 11).

• bef. 900; Middle English boot (noun, nominal), Old English bāt; cognate with Old Norse beit

boat′a•ble, adj. 
boat′less, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

miss¹  (mis), v.t. 

1. to fail to hit or strike:
   to miss a target.
2. to fail to encounter, meet, catch, etc.:
   to miss a train.
3. to fail to take advantage of:
   to miss a chance.
4. to fail to be present at or for:
   to miss a day of school.
5. to notice the absence or loss of:
   When did you first miss your wallet?
6. to regret the absence or loss of:
   I miss you all dreadfully.
7. to escape or avoid:
   He just missed being caught.
8. to fail to perceive or understand:
   to miss the point of a remark.

v.i. 

9. to fail to hit something.
10. to fail of effect or success;
    be unsuccessful.
11. Idioms miss fire. See fire (def. 25).
12. British Terms miss out, [Chiefly Brit.] to omit;
    leave out.
13. miss out on, to fail to take advantage of, experience, etc.:
    You missed out on a great opportunity.

n. 

14. a failure to hit something.
15. a failure of any kind.
16. an omission.
17. a misfire.

• bef. 900; Middle English missen, Old English missan; cognate with Old Frisian missa, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, Old High German missen, Old Norse missa to fail to hit or reach

miss′a•ble, adj. 

miss²  (mis), n., pl. miss•es. 

1. (cap.) a title of respect for an unmarried woman, conventionally prefixed to her name or to the name of that which she represents:
   Miss Mary Jones; Miss Sweden.
2. (used by itself, as a term of address, esp. to a young woman):
   Miss, please bring me some ketchup.
3. (cap.) a title prefixed to a mock surname used to represent a particular attribute of the person, esp. one excessively prominent:
   Miss Innocent; Miss Congeniality.
4. a young unmarried woman;
   girl:
   a radiant miss of 18 or so.
5. Clothing misses:
   • Clothing a range of sizes, chiefly from 6 to 20, for garments that fit women of average height and build.
   • Clothing the department or section of a store where these garments are sold.
   • Clothing a garment in this size range.

• short for mistress 1600–10

Usage

See Ms. 

Miss., 

1. Mississippi.

miss., 

1. mission.
2. missionary.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

boat / bəʊt/ noun

1. a small vessel propelled by oars, paddle, sails, or motor for travelling, transporting goods, etc, esp one that can be carried aboard a larger vessel
2. (not in technical use) another word for ship1
3. a container for gravy, sauce, etc
4. in the same boat ⇒ sharing the same problems
5. burn one's boats ⇒
6. miss the boat ⇒ to lose an opportunity
7. rock the boat ⇒ to cause a disturbance in the existing situation

verb

1. (intransitive) to travel or go in a boat, esp as a form of recreation
2. (transitive) to transport or carry in a boat

Etymology: Old English bāt; related to Old Norse beit boat

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

miss / mɪs/ verb

1. to fail to reach, hit, meet, find, or attain (some specified or implied aim, goal, target, etc)
2. (transitive) to fail to attend or be present for: to miss a train, to miss an appointment
3. (transitive) to fail to see, hear, understand, or perceive: to miss a point
4. (transitive) to lose, overlook, or fail to take advantage of: to miss an opportunity
5. (transitive) to leave out; omit: to miss an entry in a list
6. (transitive) to discover or regret the loss or absence of: he missed his watch, she missed him
7. (transitive) to escape or avoid (something, esp a danger), usually narrowly: he missed death by inches
8. miss the boat, miss the bus ⇒ to lose an opportunity

noun

1. a failure to reach, hit, meet, find, etc
2. give something a miss ⇒ to avoid (something): give the lecture a miss, give the pudding a miss

Etymology: Old English missan (meaning: to fail to hit); related to Old High German missan, Old Norse missa

miss / mɪs/ noun

1. an unmarried woman or girl, esp a schoolgirl

Etymology: 17th Century: shortened form of mistress