remiss

R1E1M3I1S1S1
/ɹəˈmɪs/

adjective

At fault; failing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations.

“It would be remiss of me, in my duties, if I did not give credit where credit was due.”

Similar
at faultblameworthylashlaxnegligentreprehensiblecensurableculpable
OriginMiddle English remisse ← Latin remissus →
UncommonScrabble 8
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Meanings

adjectiveremiss (not comparable)
  1. not comparableAt fault; failing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations.

    It would be remiss of me, in my duties, if I did not give credit where credit was due.

    Synonyms: at fault, blameworthy, lash, lax, negligent, reprehensible, at fault, blameworthy

  2. not comparableNot energetic or exact in duty or business; careless; tardy; slack; hence, lacking earnestness or activity; languid; slow.

    Its motion becomes more languid and remiss.

    1695, John Woodward, “(please specify the page)”, in An Essay toward a Natural History of the Earth: And Terrestrial Bodies, Especially Minerals: […], London: […] Ric[hard] Wilkin […], →OCLC
    1 more example

    Thou never waſt remiſs, I bear thee witneſs:

    1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 21, line 240

    Synonyms: delinquent, careless, tardy, slack, languid, slow, adiaphroistic, apathetic

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveAt fault; failing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations.

Similar
at faultblameworthylashlaxnegligentreprehensibleat faultblameworthycensurableculpableguiltynocentreprehensibleto blame

adjectiveNot energetic or exact in duty or business; careless; tardy; slack; hence, lacking earnestness or activity; languid; slow.

Similar
delinquentcarelesstardyslacklanguidslowadiaphroisticapatheticapathisticalblaséblithedeafcoolshiftlessdispassionatedullenervatedgallionichalfheartedheartless

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivefailing in what duty requires

Similar
derelictdelinquentneglectfulnegligent
Also see
carelesscursorydelinquentderelictlaxneglectfulotioseregardlessreprehensibleroughsloppyunjustifiable

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinremissus“languid, negligent”
  2. Middle Englishremisse
  3. Englishremiss

From Middle English remisse, remysse, from Latin remissus (“languid, negligent”), perfect passive participle of remittō (“remit”).

More words from Middle English, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُهْمِل, كَسُول
  • مُهْمِل (muhmil)failing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations
  • كَسُول (kasūl)not energetic or exact in duty or business; careless
Bulgarian нехаен, небрежен
  • нехаен (nehaen)failing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations
  • небрежен (nebrežen)not energetic or exact in duty or business; careless
Catalan remís, fluix
  • remísfailing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations
  • fluixnot energetic or exact in duty or business; careless
German verantwortungslos, nachlässig
  • verantwortungslosfailing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations
  • nachlässignot energetic or exact in duty or business; careless
  • trägenot energetic or exact in duty or business; careless
Russian небре́жный
  • небре́жный (nebréžnyj)not energetic or exact in duty or business; careless
Spanish remiso, no poner atención
  • remisofailing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations
  • no poner atenciónfailing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations
  • negligentefailing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations
  • dispersofailing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations
  • flojonot energetic or exact in duty or business; careless
  • descuidadonot energetic or exact in duty or business; careless
  • remisonot energetic or exact in duty or business; careless

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with remiss

thisChrisswisskissdisLuiscisvisblissbisdismisssufficedissabysstriscrishissaniseamissbrisprissarriscissfiss
All rhymes →

Anagrams

misser
Cite this entry
APA

remiss. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/remiss

MLA

“remiss.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/remiss. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “remiss,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/remiss.

Source: remiss on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.