miss the mark — to fail to achieve the intended result or to be inaccurate
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: to fail to achieve the intended result or to be inaccurate
Pronunciation (IPA): /mɪs ðə mɑːrk/
Example Sentences
- The politician's promises missed the mark with young voters.
- My joke about cats completely missed the mark at the dog lovers' meeting.
- The company's marketing strategy missed the mark this quarter.
miss the mark
NOUN[/mɪs ðə mɑːrk/]
to fail to achieve the intended result or to be inaccurate
His arrow flew past the target and the crowd groaned as he missed the mark.
Miss the mark in the dark park!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
This phrase originates from archery, where 'mark' referred to a target or bullseye. The literal image of an archer failing to hit the mark evolved metaphorically to describe any failure to achieve one's intended goal or objective.
Breakdown
miss (to fail to hit) + the + mark (target, goal). The phrase combines the verb 'miss' with 'mark' (originally a physical target in archery) to create a metaphorical expression for failing to achieve an aim.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The politician's promises missed the mark with young voters.”
“My joke about cats completely missed the mark at the dog lovers' meeting.”
“The company's marketing strategy missed the mark this quarter.”
“His attempt to impress his date by ordering snails really missed the mark.”
📚Related Words
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