err

(ûr, ĕr)
intr.v., erred, err·ing, errs.

1. To make an error or a mistake.
2. To violate accepted moral standards; sin.
3. Archaic. To stray.

[Middle English erren, from Old French errer, from Latin errāre, to wander.]

USAGE NOTE   The pronunciation (ûr) for the word err is traditional, but the pronunciation (ĕr) has gained ground in recent years, perhaps owing to influence from errant and error, and must now be regarded as an acceptable variant. The Usage Panel was split on the matter: 56 percent preferred (ûr), 34 percent preferred (ĕr), and 10 percent accepted both pronunciations.

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meaning 'to do wrong', is pronounced as in her. Errant, meaning 'doing wrong', is pronounced with the first syllable as in merry.

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verb

1. To make an error or mistake: miscue, mistake, slip, slip up, stumble, trip up. See correct/incorrect.
2. To violate a moral or divine law: offend, sin, transgress, trespass. See right/wrong.
3. To turn away from a prescribed course of action or conduct: depart, deviate, digress, diverge, stray, swerve, veer. See approach/retreat, correct/incorrect.

v

Definition: make a mistake; do wrong
Antonyms: be right, correct

IN BRIEF: To make a mistake.

To err is human, but the when the eraser wears out ahead of the pencil, you're overdoing it. — J. Jenkins.

Tutor's tip: Another word that sounds like "err" which means to make a mistake, is "air" which is what we breathe.

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See words rhyming with "err."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Err.

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Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - tage fejl, begå en fejl, synde

Nederlands (Dutch)
zich vergissen, afwijken, verkeerd zijn, zondigen

Français (French)
v. intr. - se tromper, pécher, commettre une faute

Deutsch (German)
v. - sich irren, sündigen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - σφάλλω/-ομαι, διαπράττω σφάλμα, αμαρτάνω, παραστρατίζω, πλανώμαι, βρίσκομαι σε πλάνη

Italiano (Italian)
errare, peccare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - errar, desviar-se

Русский (Russian)
ошибаться, заблуждаться

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - equivocarse, errar, pecar, vagar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - fela, ta fel, missta sig

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
犯错, 犯罪, 做错

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 犯錯, 犯罪, 做錯

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 그르치다, 죄를 범하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 間違いをする, 誤る

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يخطئ, يضل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮שגה, טעה‬

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