misread

American  

[mis-reed] / mɪsˈrid /

verb (used with or without object)

misread, misreading

1. to read wrongly.

2. to misunderstand or misinterpret.

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misread British  

/ ˌmɪsˈriːd /

verb

1. to read incorrectly

2. to misinterpret

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Other Word Forms

• misreader noun

Etymology

Origin of misread

First recorded in 1800–10; mis- ¹ + read ¹

Explanation

To misread something is to read it but understand it in the wrong way. If you misread an article about local politics, you might end up supporting a candidate whose views you don't actually agree with. When you interpret a book, online article, or magazine story incorrectly, you misread it. You can also misread people, when you don't understand how they feel or what they intend: "She tended to misread cranky customers at the coffee shop, thinking they were joking when they were actually angry about something." The prefix mis- means "bad" or "wrong," and read can mean both "comprehend printed matter" or "make out a person's character."

Example Sentences

“When shows come back after a gap, they can misread what audiences connected to in the first place,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The research suggests AI writing’s fluency and professionalism can be misread as credibility, warning companies against equating prose quality with case quality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

It won’t misread a macro data print because it slept poorly or broke up with someone last night.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

He initially tried to explain the incorrect date by claiming someone had misread his handwriting.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

At this critical moment, Gordievsky managed to persuade his MI6 contacts that the Soviets had misread NATO's intentions.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• confuse
• miscalculate
• misconstrue
• misinterpret
• misjudge