misunderstood
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- half-misunderstood adjective
- unmisunderstood adjective
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.
Scientists had misunderstood the jugal bone in snakes and snake relatives for generations, and the Najash fossils gave them direct evidence to correct the record.
From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2026
There has been no official response from Ruto's government, but some Kenyans have defended him online, arguing that critics have misunderstood the intent of his remarks and missed the humour.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
The company has been “comfortable being misunderstood for long periods of time,” Jassy added, referencing the backlash Amazon received when it was first building out AWS over a decade ago.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Shulman says he was misunderstood: “The whole spark for the company is realizing that the most fun I’ve ever had is making music with my friends.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026
This bizarre image—it is, we’d have to admit, memorable— was splendidly misunderstood by the time it reached the Middle Ages.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
