Synonyms

misinterpret

American

[mis-in-tur-prit] / ˌmɪs ɪnˈtɜr prɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

to interpret, explain, or understand incorrectly.

misinterpret British

/ ˌmɪsɪnˈtɜːprɪt /

verb

(tr) to interpret badly, misleadingly, or incorrectly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

misinterpretable adjective
misinterpretation noun
misinterpreter noun
unmisinterpretable adjective

Etymology

Origin of misinterpret

First recorded in 1580–90; mis- ¹ + interpret

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.

Early symptoms include a rash, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, headache and fever, but can often be overlooked or misinterpreted.

From The Wall Street Journal

These officials said further rate cuts could add to the risk of higher inflation becoming sticky and would be misinterpreted as implying a lack of the Fed’s commitment to its 2% inflation target.

From MarketWatch

He also said that figure had been widely misinterpreted as 9,000 grooming gang cases and had led to "unbalanced reporting".

From BBC

When asked why, they often cite the widely misinterpreted Women’s Health Initiative study, unaware of studies demonstrating health benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal

While reflecting the time in which it was written, the Kalven Report has been misinterpreted — its important contingency about threats to a university’s existence has been largely discarded and gone unheeded.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023