Definition of REMISS

negligent about writing a note of thanks

a society callously neglectful of the poor

a reporter lax about accurate quotation

had been remiss in their familial duties

It would be remiss of me if I did not share with you the vital role God has played in my recovery. —Jennifer Howard, Undoing Time, 2001 But if we do not address these complexities in the public arena, and in ways that are spatially theoretically grounded, we will be remiss in carrying out our scholarly and civic responsibilities. —Saul B. Cohen, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, December 1991 "Well, Sally, I'm in fault, and I acknowledge it; I've been remiss; but I won't let tomorrow go by without stopping up them holes." —Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1885

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you how much I appreciated the lovely gift.

Recent Examples on the Web

Flower lovers would be remiss not to stop at Wildseed Farms to pick up a pack of seeds for their home gardens, while the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center just outside of Austin is also a worthy stop. —Cynthia Drake, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2025 Meanwhile, Dell would be remiss to remove that mini LED screen option. —Joe Osborne, PCMAG, 6 Jan. 2025 But to believe that Verstappen can only succeed and operate within F1 is remiss of his interest in other disciplines. —Luke Smith, The Athletic, 22 Aug. 2024 And, Democrats said, Harris would be remiss to not take advantage of any opening in a home stretch when any one issue could help get a voter off the sidelines. —Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for remiss

Etymology

Middle English remisse, borrowed from Latin remissus "relaxed, free from constraint, casual, lenient," from past participle of remittere "to send back, release, relax, ease off" — more at remit entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of remiss was in the 15th century