misdeed

/'mis'di:d/

Thân thiện

A child confesses a small misdeed to a parent.

Definition

Noun: - An action that is wrong, wicked, or immoral; a bad or evil act.

Usage

The word "misdeed" is a formal noun used to describe a morally wrong or illegal act. It often implies a degree of seriousness and is commonly used in legal, moral, or literary contexts to refer to sins, crimes, or transgressions.

Examples

• The politician's past misdeeds were exposed by the newspaper.
• He spent years trying to atone for his misdeeds.
• The court will judge the severity of the accused's misdeed.

Advanced Usage

• "Misdeeds of the past": This phrase is often used to refer to historical wrongdoings or sins that someone is trying to overcome or make amends for.
  • The nation is still grappling with the misdeeds of its past.
• "To atone for one's misdeeds": A common collocation meaning to make reparations or seek forgiveness for one's wrong actions.
  • She dedicated her life to charity to atone for her misdeeds.

Variants and Related Words

• Misdeed does not have common verb or adjective forms. It is primarily used as a noun.
• Misdoer (noun, archaic): A person who commits misdeeds; a wrongdoer.

Synonyms

• Wrongdoing: An illegal or dishonest act.
• Transgression: An act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct.
• Offense: A breach of a law or rule; an illegal act.
• Malfeasance (formal): Wrongdoing, especially by a public official.

Antonyms

• Good deed: A helpful or kind act.
• Virtue: Behavior showing high moral standards.

Idioms and Phrases

• "Misdeeds never prosper": A proverbial saying suggesting that wrongdoing will ultimately not be successful or go unpunished. (This is a less common variant of the proverb "Cheats never prosper.")

Học thuật

Noun

1. improper or wicked or immoral behavior

Từ đồng nghĩa

• misbehavior
• misbehaviour