Meanings
verbmismanage (third-person singular simple present mismanages, present participle mismanaging, simple past and past participle mismanaged)
present singular third person mismanages · participle present mismanaging · participle past mismanaged · past mismanaged
- transitiveTo manage an area of responsibility in a way which is inept, incompetent, or dishonest.
She mismanaged my finances and left me bankrupt.
- intransitiveTo behave, in a management capacity, in a manner which is inept, incompetent, or dishonest.
The fundamental reason why the company failed is that the CEO and other top managers simply mismanaged.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*mey-?
- Proto-Indo-European*meyth₂-
- Proto-Germanic*missaz
- Proto-Germanic*missa-
- Proto-West Germanic*missa-
- Old Englishmis-
- Middle Englishmys-
- Englishmis-
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)meh₂-
- Proto-Italic*manus
- Latinmanus
- Vulgar Latin*manizāre
- Old Italianmaneggiareder.?
- Old Frenchmanege
- Middle English*manage
- Englishmanage
- Englishmismanage
Translations
Polish obchodzić się niewłaściwie
- obchodzić się niewłaściwieTranslations
Spanish dilapidar, despalillar
- dilapidarTranslations
- despalillarTranslations
- gestionar malamenteTranslations
Cite this entry
APA
mismanage. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mismanage
MLA
“mismanage.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mismanage. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mismanage,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mismanage.
Source: mismanage on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.