Synonyms

misunderstand

American

[mis-uhn-der-stand] / ˌmɪs ʌn dərˈstænd /

verb (used with object)

misunderstood, misunderstanding

to take (words, statements, etc.) in a wrong sense; understand wrongly.

Synonyms:

misinterpret, misapprehend, misconstrue
to fail to understand or interpret rightly the words or behavior of.

misunderstand British

/ ˌmɪsʌndəˈstænd /

verb

to fail to understand properly

"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

misunderstander noun

Etymology

Origin of misunderstand

First recorded in 1150–1200, misunderstand is from the Middle English word misunderstanden. See mis- ¹, understand

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.

In interviews, he has emphasized that his time working at Trader Joe’s was never something to be ashamed of, but rather only something others chose to misunderstand.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

And if AI agents are not kept on course by a human, they could misunderstand an instruction and wander down an errant processing path, resulting in a business paying for wasted computing power.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Doctors say many patients misunderstand the role of the drugs.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Those who point to Japan or China as examples of countries that have modernized without widely adopting English misunderstand India.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

“And yours,” he replied with a smile, “is willfully to misunderstand them.”

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

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