- past participle of misunderstand.
- past tense form of misunderstand.
misunderstood
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of misunderstood
First recorded in 1585–95; mis- 1 + understood
Explanation
The adjective misunderstood is used to describe someone or something that is not correctly or fully grasped by others. A joke that is misunderstood will likely fall flat, as the audience just doesn't get it. In the most basic sense, the word misunderstood is the past participle of misunderstand. Misunderstood homework instructions will likely result in the students turning in the wrong work. The word misunderstood is more commonly used to describe people who are, or feel, unappreciated because others don't see their true feelings, motives, or brilliance: Think of a misunderstood genius, like Galileo, whose ideas were not appreciated in his own time, or a misunderstood character in a story, whose "good" reasons for doing bad things are not known to the other characters.
Vocabulary lists containing misunderstood
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.
But mixed martial arts have always been deeply misunderstood.
From Slate • Jun. 14, 2026
Barclays argues that risks in the individual exchanges are misunderstood, even with the expiration last year of certain subsidies for consumers purchasing those plans.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, on Monday appeared to equate all short selling with market manipulation, prompting traders to say that prosecutors misunderstood the activity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
They misunderstood the nature of a regime that has survived for almost half a century despite severe tests imposed by war, sanctions and isolation.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
It was the same frown Cat misunderstood the day they first met.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
