Definition of the word miss out

The origin of the phrase "miss out" can be traced back to the early 1900s in the United States. The term is believed to have surfaced as a combination of the words "miss" and "out," both pre-existing English words with clear meanings. In its earliest use, "miss" connoted a religious context, referring to the act of missing out on salvation or divine favor. Over time, however, the verb "to miss" took on a more general meaning, coming to denote any instance of failing to acquire or experience something desired or beneficial. As for "out," its use is well-documented in English, with the prefix "out" meaning "from within" or "outside of." However, by the turn of the 20th century, "out" had also began to be used as a standalone word, denoting a number of concepts, including absence, lack, and exclusion. With the merging of these two commonly used words, "miss out" emerged as a concise and expressive term to describe failure to participate or gain possession of something valuable. Over the course of the century it has become an indispensable part of the English lexicon and continues to be widely used in both spoken and written forms.