wrong

American  

[rawng, rong] / rɔŋ, rɒŋ /

adjective

1. not in accordance with what is morally right or good.

   a wrong deed.

   Synonyms:

   crooked, reprehensible, iniquitous, immoral, sinful, wicked, evil, bad

2. deviating from truth or fact; erroneous.

   a wrong answer.

   Synonyms:

   mistaken, untrue, false, incorrect, inaccurate

3. not correct in action, judgment, opinion, method, etc., as a person; in error.

   You are wrong to blame him.

4. not proper or usual; not in accordance with requirements or recommended practice.

   the wrong way to hold a golf club.

5. out of order; awry; amiss.

   Something is wrong with the machine.

6. not suitable or appropriate.

   He always says the wrong thing.

   Synonyms:

   unsuitable, improper

7. (of clothing) that should be worn or kept inward or under.

   You're wearing the sweater wrong side out.

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noun

1. that which is wrong, or not in accordance with morality, goodness, or truth; evil.

   I committed many wrongs.

   Synonyms:

   vice, sin, wickedness, immorality, misdeed

2. an injustice.

   The wrongs they suffered aged them.

3. Law.

   1. an invasion of another's right, to his damage.

   2. a tort.

adverb

1. in a wrong manner; not rightly; awry; amiss.

   You did it wrong again.

verb (used with object)

1. to do wrong to; treat unfairly or unjustly; harm.

   Synonyms:

   dishonor, defraud, cheat, oppress, abuse, maltreat

2. to impute evil to (someone) unjustly; malign.

idioms

1. go wrong,

   1. to go amiss; fail.

      Everything is going wrong today.

   2. to pursue an immoral course; become depraved.

      Bad friends caused him to go wrong.

2. get in wrong, to cause to come into disfavor.

   We are forever getting in wrong with the people next door.

3. in the wrong, to blame; in error.

   He knew he was in the wrong but refused to concede the point.

wrong British  

/ rɒŋ /

adjective

1. not correct or truthful

   the wrong answer

2. acting or judging in error

   you are wrong to think that

3. (postpositive) immoral; bad

   it is wrong to cheat

4. deviating from or unacceptable to correct or conventional laws, usage, etc

5. not intended or wanted

   the wrong road

6. (postpositive) not working properly; amiss

   something is wrong with the engine

7. (of a side, esp of a fabric) intended to face the inside so as not to be seen

8. informal to come into disfavour with

9. (of food) to pass into the windpipe instead of the gullet

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adverb

1. in the wrong direction or manner

2. 1. to turn out other than intended

   2. to make a mistake

   3. (of a machine, etc) to cease to function properly

   4. to go astray morally

3. 1. to fail to understand properly

   2. to fail to provide the correct answer to

noun

1. a bad, immoral, or unjust thing or action

2. law

   1. an infringement of another person's rights, rendering the offender liable to a civil action, as for breach of contract or tort

      a private wrong

   2. a violation of public rights and duties, affecting the community as a whole and actionable at the instance of the Crown

      a public wrong

3. mistaken or guilty

verb

1. to treat unjustly

2. to discredit, malign, or misrepresent

3. to seduce or violate

wrong More Idioms  

1. see back the wrong horse; bark up the wrong tree; do someone wrong; get someone wrong; get up on the wrong side of bed; go wrong; in the wrong; on the right (wrong) foot; on the right (wrong) tack; right (wrong) side of the tracks; rub the wrong way; take the wrong way; two wrongs do not make a right.

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Other Word Forms

• quasi-wrong adjective
• wronger noun
• wrongly adverb
• wrongness noun

Etymology

Origin of wrong

First recorded before 1100; (adjective) Middle English wrong, wrang, Old English wrang, perhaps from Old Danish wrang; compare Danish vrang “wrong,” Old Norse rangr “awry”; (verb and adverb) Middle English, derivative of the adjective; (noun) Middle English; Old English wrang, derivative of adjective; akin to wring

Explanation

Use the adjective wrong to talk about something that is factually incorrect. You thought your paper was due a week from Friday, but you were wrong. It's due tomorrow. Better start typing! You can use the word wrong to describe something that deviates from your moral principles. You might believe that the death penalty is just wrong, but not everyone agrees with you. The adjective wrong can also describe something that is inappropriate for a certain purpose. It's frustrating to get all the way home from the store before you realize you grabbed the wrong kind of milk — buttermilk instead of two percent.

Example Sentences

Porto defender Martim Fernandes made the headlines for all the wrong reasons during Thursday's Europa League quarter-final draw with Nottingham Forest by scoring a bizarre own goal.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

“And if an existing client refers family or friends, telling that client ‘no’ would send the wrong message.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

When you look at the substance of what she says, she doesn’t just say he got the law wrong.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

“There was nothing wrong with the poles all along the bayou.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

I think I have always had a strong sense of justice, of fair play, of what is right and what is wrong.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

Related Words

• abuse
• bias
• blunder
• crime
• error
• evil
• grievance
• harm
• inequity
• injustice
• insult
• misdeed
• mistake
• prejudice
• slight
• transgression
• violation
• wrongdoing