To fail to experience, enjoy, or take advantage of something good, or to omit something from a list.
To not get or experience something good that others are enjoying.
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To fail to experience or enjoy something beneficial that others are getting.
"If you don't come tonight, you'll really miss out — it's going to be a great party."
"Don't miss out on the chance to make history."
— Hillary Clinton, 2016 US presidential campaign speech
(British) To accidentally leave something out of a list, text, or sequence.
"You've missed out step four — that's why the instructions don't make sense."
To be excluded from a group, event, or benefit.
"She always felt she had missed out on a proper childhood because of her parents' constant moves."
To miss something that is out there available — not quite transparent, as the emotional sense of loss is idiomatic.
To not get or experience something good that others are enjoying.
Used both transitively ('miss out a word') meaning to omit, and intransitively ('miss out on something') meaning to fail to benefit. 'Miss out on' is extremely common. The transitive omission sense is primarily British English.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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