misguided
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of misguided
Explanation
A misguided decision is one that's made without good judgment and careful thought. It would be misguided to think you could write your entire term paper in one night, or to climb into the polar bear exhibit at the zoo for a better look at them. Misguided is a polite way to say "a really dumb decision or belief." Your choice to go swimming in the ocean during a hurricane would definitely be considered misguided, and so would your decision to join the mountain climbing team if you are afraid of heights. Both are examples of unwise choices made after not enough deliberation. Misguided uses the prefix mis-, "bad or wrong," and guided, or "directed."
Vocabulary lists containing misguided
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: mis-
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"Should Communities Set Teen Curfews?" and "Curfews: A National Debate"
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mis-
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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.
Here are three major objections that investors lodge against the 60/40 portfolio — and why they’re misguided:
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Welsh Water said the case was misguided and it had invested more than £76m in the past five years to improve water quality on the Wye, Lugg and Usk.
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026
But McVay’s desire to not hurt Stafford’s feelings by not publicly giving Simpson a trademark, positive-infused welcome-to-L.A. moment seemed misguided.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
But inflation has ticked up since, leaving Fed watchers to wonder whether the latest easing cycle was prudent or misguided.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
My guess is that Judge Key had already characterized me as misguided and uncooperative simply because I didn't get off the case, as he had directed.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
