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.

Mr Trigg-Turner denied being unprofessional and had told investigators his words were "misinterpreted".

From BBC

It may omit relevant information while summarizing, mix up who is speaking and misinterpret context—such as missing nonverbal cues.

From The Wall Street Journal

This means geneticists will need to update their tools to avoid misinterpreting results.

From Science Daily

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

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