misunderstand

[ mis-uhn-der-stand ]
See synonyms for: misunderstandmisunderstandingmisunderstood on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),mis·un·der·stood, mis·un·der·stand·ing.
  1. to take (words, statements, etc.) in a wrong sense; understand wrongly.

  2. to fail to understand or interpret rightly the words or behavior of.

Origin of misunderstand

1
First recorded in 1150–1200, misunderstand is from the Middle English word misunderstanden.See mis-1, understand

Other words for misunderstand

Other words from misunderstand

  • mis·un·der·stand·er, noun

Words Nearby misunderstand

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use misunderstand in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for misunderstand

misunderstand

/ (ˌmɪsʌndəˈstænd) /


verb-stands, -standing or -stood
  1. to fail to understand properly

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012