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.
As it has done in the past, the White House on Tuesday derided Bonta’s lawsuits as misguided.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described those carrying out settler attacks as a handful of misguided young people: "150 juvenile delinquents", he's called them, or "70 teenagers from broken homes".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
If you ask AI how to invest $5,000, for instance, you’ll get a wide-ranging and possibly misguided response.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
That doesn’t mean, however, that the gaming enthusiasts who’ve made such an uproar online are to be easily dismissed, or that they’re wrong about why this is a misguided business move in the long term.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Without another thought, Moss bolted up the steps, his legs a quivering mess of nerves and soreness and his heart full of misguided hope.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
