misunderstood

[mis-uhn-der-stood]

adjective

1. improperly understood or interpreted.

2. not appreciated.

misunderstood

/ ˌmɪsʌndəˈstʊd /

adjective

1. not properly or sympathetically understood

   a misunderstood work of art

   a misunderstood adolescent

Other Word Forms

• half-misunderstood adjective
• unmisunderstood adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of misunderstood¹

First recorded in 1585–95; mis- ¹ + understood

Example Sentences

He later insisted he’d been misunderstood, saying in a letter to the Harvard community, “I deeply regret the impact of my comments and apologize for not having weighed them more carefully.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mr Nawat later apologised and claimed that some of his words were misunderstood - but a delegation of international executives were sent to take over running the competition.

Read more on BBC

“I will say I felt very misunderstood when I was younger and was more of the trouble child. Now I feel more like the peacemaker.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The show aims to dispel myths and disclose secrets about Rousseau—a misunderstood, self-taught artist who, labeled naïve, was simultaneously celebrated and mocked by the Parisian avant-garde.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And there, for decades, the two remained -- isolated and misunderstood.

Read more on Science Daily