misconstrue

[mis-kuhn-stroo, mis-kon-stroo]

verb (used with object)

misconstrued, misconstruing 

1. to misunderstand the meaning of; take in a wrong sense; misinterpret.

   Synonyms: misjudge, misapprehend, misread

misconstrue

/ ˌmɪskənˈstruː /

verb

1. (tr) to interpret mistakenly

Word History and Origins

Origin of misconstrue¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; mis- ¹, construe

Example Sentences

"There is less room for error and you don't want to say anything that could be misconstrued and that can be hard to think about constantly," she says.

From BBC

In a statement, a lawyer for the city contends that the ruling “misconstrues the city’s obligations.”

From Los Angeles Times

"This is how it has been misconstrued, or manipulated to make some cheap, political point," said Robinson.

From BBC

Sworn declarations filed in federal court Wednesday also protest the claims against some detainees, stating that benign tattoos were misconstrued as evidence of gang affiliation.

From Salon

If one believed that the star-spangled banner flapped “o’er the land of the free,” then protest during its veneration – not against it, as was deliberately misconstrued – is precisely the affordance that the ritual symbolizes.

From Salon

Related Words

• distort 
• exaggerate 
• misinterpret 
• misread 
• misunderstand 
• pervert