misunderstand
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to take (words, statements, etc.) in a wrong sense; understand wrongly.
- Synonyms:
- misinterpret, misapprehend, misconstrue
-
to fail to understand or interpret rightly the words or behavior of.
verb
Other Word Forms
- misunderstander noun
Etymology
Origin of misunderstand
First recorded in 1150–1200, misunderstand is from the Middle English word misunderstanden. See mis- 1, understand
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In interviews, he has emphasized that his time working at Trader Joe’s was never something to be ashamed of, but rather only something others chose to misunderstand.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
Doctors say many patients misunderstand the role of the drugs.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
Young adults also were more likely to misunderstand how the program pays out benefits, the Cato poll found.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 16, 2025
Those who point to Japan or China as examples of countries that have modernized without widely adopting English misunderstand India.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025
It is also an act of courtesy, because consistent trees are easier to parse and harder to misunderstand.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
