miss out

lose the chance to enjoy or do something good

B1

What does "miss out on sth" mean?

To miss out on something means you don't get to experience or benefit from something good — usually because of bad timing, being in the wrong place, or not acting quickly enough. For example, if your friends went to an amazing party while you stayed home, you missed out on the fun. The feeling is often one of regret, because the thing you missed was enjoyable or useful. It's a very common phrase in everyday English, and you'll often see it in advertising with warnings like 'Don't miss out on this deal!' The important thing to remember is that the phrase always ends with 'on' before the thing you didn't get to experience.

Examples

How to use it

miss out on + noun phrase

The most common pattern — use a noun or noun phrase after 'on' to name the thing that wasn't experienced.

He missed out on a great opportunity because he didn't check his emails in time.

miss out on + -ing phrase

Use a gerund phrase after 'on' when the missed experience is an action or activity.

We missed out on seeing the northern lights because it was too cloudy.

don't want to / can't afford to + miss out on + noun

Often used with expressions showing the speaker wants to avoid missing something valuable.

I don't want to miss out on the early booking discount, so I'm registering today.

miss out on + pronoun (it / them)

When the object has already been mentioned, replace it with a pronoun — always placed after 'on', never between the parts of the phrase.

The offer was only available for one day, and she missed out on it completely.

miss out (short form, no object)

When the missed thing is already clear from context, 'on' and its object can be dropped entirely.

Everyone else got tickets — don't miss out!

Common Collocations

miss out on an opportunitymiss out on a chancemiss out on the funmiss out on a great dealmiss out on important informationmiss out on a promotion

Common Mistakes

Dropping 'on' before the object

When you mention the specific thing that was missed, you must include 'on'. Leaving it out either sounds wrong or changes the meaning — in British English, 'miss out' without 'on' means to accidentally omit something.

✗ You missed out a brilliant concert last night.
✓ You missed out on a brilliant concert last night.
Confusing 'miss out on' with 'lose out on'

'Miss out on' means you didn't get to experience something enjoyable or useful. 'Lose out on' focuses on being at a disadvantage compared to others, often in a competitive situation — for example, losing a contract or a competition.

✗ We missed out on the contract because another company offered a lower price.
✓ We lost out on the contract because another company offered a lower price.
Inserting a word between the parts of the phrase

'Miss out on' is a fixed three-part phrase and can never be split. The object must always come after the full phrase.

✗ You'll miss on a lot out if you don't come.
✓ You'll miss out on a lot if you don't come.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral to informal and is very common in everyday speech and writing. The short form 'miss out' (without 'on') is perfectly natural when the context is clear, especially in warnings like 'Don't miss out!'

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'miss out on' be used in the passive, like 'the opportunity was missed out on'?

No — 'miss out on' is not used in the passive. The sentence always has a person or group as the subject who does the missing. If you want to talk about a lost opportunity, say something like 'She missed out on a great opportunity' rather than trying to make it passive.

Can I use a gerund (verb + -ing) after 'miss out on'?

Yes, this is very natural! You can say things like 'He missed out on getting a promotion' or 'I don't want to miss out on seeing them live.' Just make sure the '-ing' form comes right after 'on' as part of the object phrase.

Does 'miss out on' always mean the person made a mistake or did something wrong?

Not necessarily. The person usually just had bad luck or bad timing — for example, being busy, arriving late, or not knowing about something in time. The important thing is that the missed experience was something positive or useful, and there's usually a sense of regret.

Is 'miss out on' used in formal writing?

It's mainly used in everyday spoken English, casual messages, and informal writing. You'll also see it a lot in advertising. It's not really used in formal or academic writing — in those contexts, you might say something like 'fail to benefit from' or 'be unable to take advantage of' instead.

What kinds of things can follow 'miss out on'?

Usually things that are enjoyable, valuable, or useful — like opportunities, experiences, discounts, events, important information, or promotions. The object should be something the person would have wanted. You wouldn't normally use 'miss out on' for something unpleasant or unwanted.

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