mismanage

verb

mis·​man·​age ˌmis-ˈma-nij How to pronounce mismanage (audio)
mismanaged; mismanaging

transitive verb

: to manage (something) wrongly or poorly
mismanage a business
… started thinking that maybe employees are sometimes mismanaged because they let themselves be mismanaged. They don't fight back.A. J. Anderson
… even those professional Pollyannas who publicly find reason to praise the current municipal administration shake their heads in private and wonder how long we can go on deliberately mismanaging our affairs.Brendan Gill
mismanagement noun
plural mismanagements
financial mismanagement of the company

Examples of mismanage in a Sentence

the business was mismanaged so seriously that it eventually had to declare bankruptcy
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Fed’s handling of its renovation, which administration officials are describing as mismanaged, could be used as one step in a possible pathway for Trump to sack Powell. Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 14 July 2025 Trump officials have also claimed Powell has mismanaged the Fed and point to renovations of the central bank’s headquarters, with National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett even indicating that Powell’s job could be at stake. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 July 2025 That Hartig berated some court workers with false accusations about mismanaging drug court funds. Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 11 July 2025 However, in recent days, Office of Management and Budget Chair Russell Vought, among other government officials, has accused Powell of mismanaging the renovation of the Marriner Eccles building, which is essentially Fed headquarters. Ron Insana, CNBC, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for mismanage

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mismanage was in 1651

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mismanage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mismanage. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

mismanage

verb
mis·​man·​age
(ˈ)mis-ˈman-ij
: to manage badly or improperly
mismanagement
-mənt
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on mismanage

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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