missed the point
Failed to comprehend
To miss the point is to fail to understand the essential meaning or purpose of something.
Someone who misses the point focuses on irrelevant details while the central idea goes unrecognized: He spent ten minutes correcting my grammar—completely missed the point of what I was saying.
The phrase often carries mild exasperation at the listener's obtuseness.
Not noticed or considered
- glossed overSuperficially addressed, then moved on
- skippedWent past without stopping
- bypassedWent around an obstacle
- neglectedNot given proper attention
ignored · disregarded · blindspot · unnoticed · unheeded · inattentive · lost in translation
Erroneous belief or understanding
- misinterpretationIncorrect understanding of meaning
- misconstrueUnderstand incorrectly
- misreadInterpret text incorrectly
- misapprehendGrasp incorrectly
misjudge · wrong idea · off base · mistaken · confused · lost the thread · talked past · crossed wires
Line touching curve once
- digressionVeering off topic
- sidetrackedDiverted from main task
- irrelevantNot pertinent
- off-topicUnrelated to discussion
red herring · distracted · unfocused · peripheral · secondary · non-essential · lost the plot · detour
overlooked
Not noticed or considered
- glossed overSuperficially addressed, then moved on
- skippedWent past without stopping
- bypassedWent around an obstacle
neglected · ignored · disregarded · blindspot · unnoticed · unheeded · inattentive · lost in translation
misconception
Erroneous belief or understanding
- misinterpretationIncorrect understanding of meaning
- misconstrueUnderstand incorrectly
- misreadInterpret text incorrectly
misapprehend · misjudge · wrong idea · off base · mistaken · confused · lost the thread · talked past · crossed wires · got it wrong
tangent
Line touching curve once
- digressionVeering off topic
- sidetrackedDiverted from main task
- irrelevantNot pertinent
off-topic · red herring · distracted · unfocused · peripheral · secondary · non-essential · lost the plot · detour · wandering
- misunderstandingsmisunderstanding, misinterpretation, misconception, misreading, miscommunication
- miscommunicationmix-up, mixed signals, confusion, mixed messages, crossed wires
missed the pointgot the point
Understood the core idea
understood · comprehended · got it · caught on · followed
missed the pointhit the nail on the head
To be exactly correct
perceptive · insightful · astute · sharp · discerning
miss, missed, misses, missing, point, points, pointed, pointing, pointer