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Synonyms

wrong-headed

British  

adjective

  1. constantly wrong in judgment

  2. foolishly stubborn; obstinate

"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

Other Word Forms

  • wrong-headedly adverb
  • wrong-headedness noun

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.

For those ages 55 to 69, the panel recommended doctors “not screen men who do not express a preference for screening” on the wrong-headed rationale it could lead to “overdiagnosis and overtreatment.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

“The idea that you can discriminate against anybody is just wrong-headed and general Tennessee nonsense.”

From Salon • Feb. 16, 2024

To Goff, focusing on the fish’s behavior is not only wrong-headed but “horrific” because it leaves out what’s actually most important—what the fish actually feels.

From Scientific American • Sep. 25, 2023

“People will always make wrong-headed judgments about writers. And keen readers might be able to still tell who wrote what if they read closely.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2022

“Is that proper, do you think? Wouldn’t that make this into some kind of topsy-turvy, wrong-headed world if a king played music for a bug?”

From "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo