misconstrue

[ mis-kuhn-strooor, especially British, mis-kon-stroo ]

verb (used with object)

, mis·con·strued, mis·con·stru·ing.

1. to misunderstand the meaning of; take in a wrong sense; misinterpret.

   Synonyms: misjudge, misapprehend, misread

misconstrue

/ ˌmɪskənˈstruː /

verb

1. tr to interpret mistakenly

Word History and Origins

Origin of misconstrue¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; mis- ¹, construe

Example Sentences

Mbonambi denied the accusation, saying he had used an Afrikaans phrase that had been misconstrued, and World Rugby decided there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

From BBC

An ICE count of homicides dating back decades was misconstrued to link crime to immigrants who have entered the country under President Biden and Kamala Harris.

From Los Angeles Times

Razek said the allegations were “categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context,” and the company said it is “committed to continuous improvement and complete accountability.”

From Salon

But Katie Tobin, who worked on immigration at the White House, says Ms Harris’s work has been deliberately “misconstrued and painted in a bad light“.

From BBC

It seems she doesn’t want her words to be misconstrued, lest she end up back on the internet’s firing line.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• distort
• exaggerate
• misinterpret
• misread
• misunderstand
• pervert