mishap

noun

mis·​hap ˈmis-ˌhap 

mis-ˈhap

1

: an unfortunate accident

The fire was a tragic mishap that could have been prevented.

2

: bad luck : misfortune

The ceremony proceeded without mishap.

Synonyms

• accident
• casualty
• mischance

Choose the Right Synonym for mishap

misfortune, mischance, adversity, mishap mean adverse fortune or an instance of this.

misfortune may apply to either the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress.

never lost hope even in the depths of misfortune

mischance applies especially to a situation involving no more than slight inconvenience or minor annoyance.

took the wrong road by mischance

adversity applies to a state of grave or persistent misfortune.

had never experienced great adversity

mishap applies to an often trivial instance of bad luck.

the usual mishaps of a family vacation

Examples of mishap in a Sentence

We experienced the usual mishaps of a family vacation.

The ceremony proceeded without mishap.

The fire was a tragic mishap that could have been prevented.

Recent Examples on the Web

Mimi Shou posted four videos that week about her dating mishaps in NYC, but only that one created a sensation. —Kelsey McKinney, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2025

Barker, who had recently published an inventory of rocket emissions and pollutants from satellite re-entries in the journal Nature, posted the estimates on his LinkedIn profile shortly after the mishap. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 2 Feb. 2025

After the mishap, Chan tried to look at the positive side. —Liza Esquibias, People.com, 31 Jan. 2025

The mishap came one day before AA Flight 5342 − carrying 60 passengers and four crewmembers − collided with a Black Hawk trying to land at Reagan National Airport. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mishap

noun

mis·​hap ˈmis-ˌhap 

mis-ˈhap

1

archaic : bad luck

2

: an unfortunate accident

Etymology

Middle English mishap "bad luck," from mis- "bad, unfavorable" and hap "chance, chance occurrence" — related to happen, happy, perhaps