miscalculate
Americanverb (used with or without object)
-
miscalculates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
miscalculated,
past participle, past
-
miscalculating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
miscalculatesimple
-
miscalculatessimple
-
have miscalculatedperfect
-
has miscalculatedperfect
-
am miscalculatingprogressive
-
are miscalculatingprogressive
-
is miscalculatingprogressive
-
have been miscalculatingperfect progressive
-
has been miscalculatingperfect progressive
Past
-
miscalculatedsimple
-
had miscalculatedperfect
-
was miscalculatingprogressive
-
were miscalculatingprogressive
-
had been miscalculatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of miscalculate
Explanation
If you add two plus two and get five, you miscalculate. In other words, you've added the numbers incorrectly. You can use the verb miscalculate when you're talking about actual mathematical calculations, or when you measure something in an inexact way and get it wrong. Another way to use the word is to mean "judge incorrectly," which happens when you guess that your grandmother will laugh after sitting on a whoopie cushion, but you guess wrong. Mis, in this word, means "bad or wrong," and calculate means "to compute or estimate."
Vocabulary lists containing miscalculate
mis-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
mis-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Then I mentioned to him what the veteran reporter had said to me about the risk that “confirmation bias” was yet again causing the press corps to miscalculate Trump’s odds of survival.
From Slate ● May 20, 2024
Every time any actor decides to roll the iron dice of war, there is a significant chance that they are going to miscalculate.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2024
Hard-headed governments regularly miscalculate the risks of their most provocative acts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
Some here in South Korea agree, arguing the spy satellite, by offering accurate data, reduces the odds the isolated Kim regime will miscalculate and start a war.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 28, 2023
I ain’t partial to swords—the time on the reverse is too long if you miscalculate your swing—but it’s better than a couple of rusty gardening blades.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
But if it miscalculates and raises rates too high or too fast, history suggests it could trigger a recession.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 18, 2018
OnePlus has scaled back the background-blurring effect, which helps to hide the errors when the camera miscalculates whether to blur or keep something in focus.
From The Verge ● Nov. 20, 2017
He goes over his tallies, in case he miscalculated, but he never miscalculates.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 13, 2016
Even when the team indisputably miscalculates, as when the Spurs signed Richard Jefferson to a high-dollar multiyear deal, the situation is dealt with quietly and efficiently.
From Slate ● May 29, 2012
So that no state miscalculates U.S. resolve, we will articulate these policy goals through appropriate public and diplomatic channels.
From National Strategy for Combating Terrorism February 2003 by United States. Executive Office of the President
But, if Europe has miscalculated and needs to turn to the spot market for more supplies later this year, U.S. exporters of liquefied natural gas will profit from higher prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Umanksy points to Measure ULA, the voter-approved tax widely referred to as the “mansion tax,” as an example of miscalculated promised outcomes.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
But regardless of the intention, Fairhope miscalculated in prosecuting Gamble.
From Slate ● May 4, 2026
Drake was due to play in Amsterdam two days after the final Manchester show, but his team had miscalculated the time it would take to ship the stage across the North Sea.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
Had she miscalculated her time, or...she had a darker thought.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
These days, its own mathematical ability is just about the only thing that AI is miscalculating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
But it is possible that they could be miscalculating, and they end up the ones who back away from the void.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2025
Ford was accused of misleading the EPA by intentionally miscalculating factors used in certification testing.
From Reuters ● Apr. 21, 2023
There are two ways to look at this Lakers season: to condemn the front office for miscalculating the initial roster, or praise them for finally getting it right.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2023
So long as we were chaining there was no great fear of miscalculating position; so far then as the second Depot, it would not be difficult for any other traveller to follow my course.
From Expedition into Central Australia by Charles Sturt
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
