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Synonyms

misinterpret

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

verb (used with or without object)

  1. to interpret, explain, or understand incorrectly.

misinterpret British  
/ ˌmɪsɪnˈtɜːprɪt /

verb

  1. (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

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.