Synonyms

wrongheaded

American

[rawng-hed-id, rong-] / ˈrɔŋˈhɛd ɪd, ˈrɒŋ- /

Or wrong-headed

adjective

wrong in judgment or opinion; misguided and stubborn; perverse.

Other Word Forms

wrongheadedly adverb
wrongheadedness noun

Etymology

Origin of wrongheaded

First recorded in 1725–35; wrong + headed

Explanation

Something that's wrongheaded is foolish, misguided, and stubborn. A wrongheaded politician might run for president despite polls showing there's no way he can win. A wrongheaded entrepreneur may go ahead with her plans to open an ice cream shop for dogs despite being advised not to by everyone she knows. You might feel angry about a judge's wrongheaded decision in an important court case. Anyone who uses bad judgement is wrongheaded, especially when the mistake seems obvious. The adjective wrongheaded has been around since the 1730's.

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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.

Ultimately, “Feed the People!” is a worthwhile corrective to a great deal of wrongheaded popular dogma about food.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

So I had very definite feelings about it, and I thought it was wrongheaded and really somewhat shameful of the academy to do that.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

But there is much that is historically wrongheaded, strategically unwise, and logically vague or self-contradictory in this document.

From Slate • Dec. 8, 2025

The suggestion the provision applies "could not be more wrongheaded," he added.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2024

Maybe Holly had some wrongheaded ideas about Arletta, but if she knew when a glue gun was in order, she wasn’t all bad.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023