mistimed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mistimed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an action or event that occurs at an inappropriate or incorrect time. Example: "The delivery of the package was mistimed, arriving a week after the event it was meant for."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

All the good work of the right will be undone, simply because they massively mistimed their attacks.

The Guardian

PSG almost took the lead when the Monaco defender Fabinho mistimed a headed clearance following a PSG corner and the ball almost sailed into the opposite corner.

The Guardian - Sport

We'd mistimed feeds, and found ourselves with the option of walking a mile home with a hungry baby going off like a siren inside his pram, or ducking into the most secluded corner of the nearest coffee shop and letting my wife feed him while I stood in front of them holding up her coat like some sort of panicky Poundland matador.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Ecuador pulled one back through Fidel Martínez in the 57th minute, before Langerak spectacularly mistimed a challenge on Enner Valencia seconds later to concede a penalty.

The Guardian - Sport

In one gloriously mistimed editorial, written just ahead and in ignorance of the raid on Abbottabad, Bill Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard, mocked Mr Obama for "leading from behind".

The Economist

Its withdrawal, if mistimed, would pose fresh dangers for the global economy, and with it for trade.

The Economist

But he was famous for the number of times he miscalculated the distance, or his speed, or mistimed things, thereby meeting the asphalt with more than enough force to kill himself.His two most-watched jumps were both disasters.

The Economist

It mistimed its big push into mobile-phone production and had to junk the optimistic forecasts that it was making only a few months ago.

The Economist

The Gunners captain was given space to drive the ball through David Mendes da Silva's legs, and as Ranero completely mistimed his dive, it somehow crept inside the far post.

Independent

Only twice did they crack; once when Carrick attempted to tackle Makoto Hasebe as he burst through into the area and mistimed by a fraction.

Independent

The Briton had struggled for his usual rhythm during the match as he consistently mistimed his forehand and was regularly forced to rely on his second serve.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing events, use "mistimed" to highlight actions that occurred at an inappropriate or incorrect time, creating negative consequences or missed opportunities.

Common error

Avoid using "mistimed" when you mean "misguided". "Mistimed" refers to incorrect timing, while "misguided" means based on flawed judgment or intentions. For example, a "mistimed" attack is poorly timed, while a "misguided" attack is based on bad strategy.

Linguistic Context

The word "mistimed" primarily functions as an adjective modifying nouns. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it describes actions or events that occur at an inappropriate or incorrect time, like in the example "a mistimed leap" or "a mistimed editorial".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

92%

Formal & Business

4%

Science

4%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "mistimed" is a versatile adjective used to describe actions or events that occurred at an inappropriate or incorrect time. As Ludwig AI confirms, it’s grammatically correct and frequently used in news and media, as illustrated by examples from The New York Times and The Guardian. When writing, it's best to use "mistimed" to emphasize errors in timing, and avoid confusing it with "misguided", which refers to flawed judgment. Alternatives include ""ill-timed"" and ""poorly timed"" for similar meanings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ill-timed

Emphasizes the inappropriateness of the timing, suggesting a negative consequence due to the bad timing.

poorly timed

Indicates a lack of good timing, suggesting a mistake or error in choosing the right moment.

badly timed

Similar to "poorly timed" but with a slightly stronger emphasis on the negative impact.

untimely

Suggests that something happened too early or at an unfortunate moment, often implying a sense of loss or sadness.

inappropriately timed

Directly states that the timing was not suitable or appropriate for the situation.

premature

Focuses on the action occurring too early, before the optimal or expected time.

inopportune

Highlights that the timing was inconvenient or unsuitable, causing difficulty or problems.

off-time

Indicates a deviation from the correct or expected timing, suggesting a lack of synchronization.

out of sync

Suggests a lack of coordination or alignment in timing, implying a disruption or error.

unseasonable

Implies that the timing is unusual or unexpected for a particular season or context.

FAQs

How to use "mistimed" in a sentence?

You can use "mistimed" to describe something done at the wrong time. For example, "His "ill-timed" intervention caused more harm than good" or "The "poorly timed" launch of the product led to its failure".

What can I say instead of "mistimed"?

You can use alternatives like ""ill-timed"", ""poorly timed"", or "untimely" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "mistimed decision" or "misguided decision"?

While both phrases can be valid, they have different meanings. A "mistimed decision" refers to a decision made at the wrong moment, whereas a "misguided decision" implies the decision was based on faulty reasoning or information.

What's the difference between "mistimed" and "untimely"?

"Mistimed" specifically refers to something done at the wrong time, while "untimely" often implies that something happened too early or at an unfortunate moment, frequently associated with loss or death.