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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
misunderstandsimple
-
misunderstandssimple
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have misunderstoodperfect
-
has misunderstoodperfect
-
am misunderstandingprogressive
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are misunderstandingprogressive
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is misunderstandingprogressive
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have been misunderstandingperfect progressive
-
has been misunderstandingperfect progressive
Past
-
misunderstoodsimple
-
had misunderstoodperfect
-
was misunderstandingprogressive
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were misunderstandingprogressive
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had been misunderstandingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of misunderstand
First recorded in 1150–1200, misunderstand is from the Middle English word misunderstanden. See mis- 1, understand
Explanation
To misunderstand is to incorrectly interpret what someone means. If you misunderstand the directions for taking your medication, you might end up feeling loopy or passing out. When a football player misunderstands the coach's instructions, he might make the wrong play. If a baker misunderstands what you ask him to write on your best friend's birthday cake, he might misspell her name. The verb misunderstand adds the "bad" or "wrong" prefix mis- to understand, from an Old English root, understandan, that literally means "stand in the midst of."
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.
See Examples For:
We also discovered—without too much surprise—that he often seems to fundamentally misunderstand the works he treasures most deeply.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Nvidia remains undervalued by investors, perhaps because they misunderstand the company’s true data-center dominance.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
What do audiences underestimate or misunderstand about what it takes to make a comedy?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
Kaufman acknowledged mistakes can occur, but suggested many complaints arise when parents complete age checks on behalf of their children or misunderstand the process.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
“You misunderstand us, monsieur. You have seen everything we can show you.”
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Cameron Berg misunderstands the Catholic Church’s contribution to humanity’s self-understanding in his op-ed “Will the Pope Owe an Apology to AI?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
It’s hard to describe how profoundly that misunderstands what the military ought to be.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
De Zylva argues this misunderstands the point: "The purpose of the green belt isn't to be green per se, it is to be a buffer to prevent sprawl."
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
“This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site,” said Jose Castañeda, a Google spokesman, in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2026
The evidence is clear: not only does della Porta echo Garzoni’s words, but he misunderstands some of the experiments he claims to have performed, and so misreports them.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Gaines said in an interview that his sentence about “traditional style” has been misunderstood, and he rejects the claims of cultural insensitivity that have been leveled against him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
But for a film to become a misunderstood classic, it has to be worth paying any attention to in the first place.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
Shalom is a proud advocate for People Who Stutter, promoting awareness around this misunderstood disability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
But mixed martial arts have always been deeply misunderstood.
From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2026
It was the only logical explanation; she must have misunderstood the true meaning of the conversation, for she was not used to grown men jesting with one another in such a free and sportive way.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
A pair of diners who left a restaurant without paying a £115 bill - which included a £52 Dover sole - have said it was a "misunderstanding", its owner has said.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
SpaceX’s IPO left Korean broker with no shares after misunderstanding.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Flock blames the blowback on misunderstanding its technology and disinformation spread by opponents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
"I sincerely regret any action, omission, misunderstanding or misinterpretation that may have resulted in a non-compliance with the order," a humbled Duale told the court.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Comrade Pillai, grateful for the misunderstanding, perpetuated it.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
