misread

American

[mis-reed] / mɪsˈrid /

verb (used with or without object)

misread, misreading

to read wrongly.
to misunderstand or misinterpret.

misread British

/ ˌmɪsˈriːd /

verb

to read incorrectly
to misinterpret

"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

misreader noun

Etymology

Origin of misread

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

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.

This kind of inward distancing is a habit learned by those who move through the world knowing they may be misread or made to stand in for something larger or other than themselves.

From Salon

Still, it’s bothersome that a world-famous abuser was among the cohort who’ve been misreading and misrepresenting Nabokov’s “love affair with the English language” since its release.

From Salon

I hope and trust your girlfriend misread the situation and honestly misunderstood her own role.

From MarketWatch

When Western institutions misread these signals, even a well-designed system can fail when it’s needed most.

From The Wall Street Journal

Written communication is notoriously easy to misread, which is why many of us insert an emoji as a picture of our warmth or humour.

From BBC

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