misaim
Target the wrong spot
To misaim is to aim incorrectly or inaccurately—to direct something at the wrong target or miss the intended mark: He misaimed the throw and hit the window instead.
The word applies to physical actions like shooting or throwing, and extends to figurative contexts: The campaign misaimed its message at voters who were already decided.
Go beyond intended point
- undershootMiss by insufficient reach
- strayWander from course
- wideOf great breadth
- veerChange course suddenly
deviate · skew · awry · astray · adrift · errant · wayward · off-course
Compute incorrectly
- misjudgeEvaluate incorrectly
- misdirectLead away from truth
- misstepError in action or judgment
- misfireFailure to discharge
misalign · miscue · blunder · fumble · botch · flub · bungle · slip
Lack of exactness
- inexactnessLack of precision
- deviationDeparture from expected path
- varianceSpread around the mean
- scatterDistribute in random directions
spread · dispersion · inconsistency · unreliability · calibration · sighting · zeroing · compensation
overshoot
Go beyond intended point
- undershootMiss by insufficient reach
- strayWander from course
- wideOf great breadth
veer · deviate · skew · awry · astray · adrift · errant · wayward · off-course · deflect
miscalculate
Compute incorrectly
misfire · misalign · miscue · blunder · fumble · botch · flub · bungle · slip · goof
imprecision
Lack of exactness
- inexactnessLack of precision
- deviationDeparture from expected path
- varianceSpread around the mean
scatter · spread · dispersion · inconsistency · unreliability · calibration · sighting · zeroing · compensation · windage