To misplace something means to put it down somewhere and then forget where you left it. When you misplace your house keys, they're not lost forever: they're somewhere in your home, probably in an unusual spot where you set them without thinking. Maybe you put them on the kitchen counter instead of the key hook, or left them in your jacket pocket instead of your backpack.

Misplacing is different from losing. When you lose something, it might be gone for good. When you misplace something, it's still around: you just can't remember where. You might misplace your homework folder, your phone, or your favorite pen. The word suggests the item will turn up eventually, in an obvious place you'll kick yourself for not checking first.

People who frequently misplace things often develop strategies to prevent it: always putting their glasses in the same spot, hanging their keys on a hook by the door, or keeping their wallet in the same pocket. The frustrating part about misplacing something isn't that it's gone, but that you know it's right there somewhere if only you could remember where you put it.