err
Definitions
To make a mistake; to be wrong or do something incorrectly.
犯错，出错，做得不对。
To choose a particular cautious approach when uncertain (in 'err on the side of').
（在 err on the side of 中）宁可偏向某种（谨慎的）做法。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivederr is the bare root errāre with nothing added: 'to wander, go astray.' To err is to let your thinking or action stray off the correct path — that is, to make a mistake. It is the verb behind the noun error.
Root err still carries 7 more wordsUsage Guide
Pronunciation: traditionally /ɜː/ (rhymes with 'her'), though many now say /eə/ (like 'air'); both are accepted. Register: err (the verb) is formal and somewhat literary — in everyday speech people say 'make a mistake' instead. The one place err is fully alive in ordinary English is the fixed phrase 'err on the side of (caution / generosity)' = to deliberately lean toward the safer or kinder choice.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Even the best doctors sometimes err in their diagnosis.
- 2.
If you're not sure how much salt to add, err on the side of caution.
- 3.
To err is human; to forgive, divine.