misunderstood
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of misunderstood
First recorded in 1585–95; mis- 1 + understood
Explanation
The adjective misunderstood is used to describe someone or something that is not correctly or fully grasped by others. A joke that is misunderstood will likely fall flat, as the audience just doesn't get it. In the most basic sense, the word misunderstood is the past participle of misunderstand. Misunderstood homework instructions will likely result in the students turning in the wrong work. The word misunderstood is more commonly used to describe people who are, or feel, unappreciated because others don't see their true feelings, motives, or brilliance: Think of a misunderstood genius, like Galileo, whose ideas were not appreciated in his own time, or a misunderstood character in a story, whose "good" reasons for doing bad things are not known to the other characters.
Vocabulary lists containing misunderstood
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.
Were humans actually surviving in colder glacial conditions, or had scientists misunderstood what the climate in Britain was really like at the time?
From Science Daily • May 13, 2026
And attempts to preserve it can sometimes be misunderstood.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
Garret Anderson, the often misunderstood and always lethal Angels slugger who starred in the 2002 World Series, has died of a heart attack.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
The company has been “comfortable being misunderstood for long periods of time,” Jassy added, referencing the backlash Amazon received when it was first building out AWS over a decade ago.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Others had a kernel of truth, misunderstood or exaggerated by the explorers or their informants.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
