misunderstood

American  

[mis-uhn-der-stood] / ˌmɪs ʌn dərˈstʊd /

adjective

1. improperly understood or interpreted.

2. not appreciated.

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misunderstood British  

/ ˌmɪsʌndəˈstʊd /

adjective

1. not properly or sympathetically understood

   a misunderstood work of art

   a misunderstood adolescent

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Other Word Forms

• half-misunderstood adjective
• unmisunderstood adjective

Etymology

Origin of misunderstood

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

Example Sentences

Brilliant but frequently misunderstood, George is dismissed by one potential suspect as “a bumbling, disorganized eccentric.”

From The Wall Street Journal

How about an animated feature in which a snake is a gentle, misunderstood hero who seeks merely to restore his people’s —er, his fellow reptiles’—rightful legacy?

From The Wall Street Journal

The consulting firm calls this “a striking but easily misunderstood figure.”

From The Wall Street Journal

At first they misunderstood each other, as many new companions do.

From Los Angeles Times

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.”

From The Wall Street Journal